Churchill Theatre

Churchill Theatre
The Churchill Theatre at Night
Map
AddressHigh Street
Bromley, London
England
Coordinates51°24′13″N 0°00′52″E / 51.403611°N 0.014444°E / 51.403611; 0.014444
Public transitNational Rail Bromley South
OperatorTrafalgar Theatres [part of Trafalgar Entertainment Group]
TypeVisiting performances
Capacity781 seated
Construction
Opened19 July 1977; 47 years ago (1977-07-19)
ArchitectKen Wilson
Website
churchilltheatre.co.uk

The Churchill Theatre in Bromley, southeast London, was built by the London Borough of Bromley according to designs by the borough architect's department. The Churchill is an example of a repertory theatre built in the style of European opera houses, with a large stage and sub-stage workshops. Integrated into the central library complex overlooking Church House Gardens and Library Gardens, it was built on the side of a hill, disguising the number and size of the lower levels and giving the impression of being smaller by setting the auditorium below ground level which is entered by descending staircases from the foyer.

Named after former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the theatre was inaugurated on 19 July 1977[1] by the Prince of Wales, and seats 781.[2][3] It took seven years to build at a cost of £1.63m.[4]

Currently the theatre is operated under a contract held by Trafalgar Entertainment,[5] previous to that HQ Theatres & Hospitality and previous to that Ambassador Theatre Group.[6] In July 2024 Bromley Council advertised the freehold of the theatre as "land for sale", claiming that the venue was "rapidly approaching the end of its life".[7][8][9]

  1. ^ "Churchill Theatre". Theatres Trust. Theatres Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Venue Information". Churchill Theatre. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Churchill Theatre Bromley". Discover Britain for Groups. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Dramatic past of town's theatre". News Shopper. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  5. ^ "West End theatre group purchases pandemic-hit venue". Kent Online. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  6. ^ "ATG loses management of Churchill Theatre to Qdos Entertainment". The Stage. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Check out this Land for sale on Rightmove". Rightmove.co.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  8. ^ Luckhurst, Georgia. "Bromley's Churchill Theatre put up for sale on Rightmove". The Stage. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Churchill Theatre". churchilltheatre.net. Retrieved 16 July 2024.