Marina Theatre
| The Rink Theatre, Marina Cinema, ABC Marina | |
The Marina Theatre
|
|
| Address | The Marina Lowestoft England, UK |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°28′N 1°45′E / 52.47°N 1.75°E |
| Owner | Waveney District Council (part) |
| Operator | Marina Theatre Trust |
| Type | Proscenium |
| Capacity | 800 |
| Current use | Active |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1878 |
| Closed | 1984-88 |
| Reopened | 1988 |
| Rebuilt |
1901 and 1930 refurbished & expanded 2013 |
| Years active | 1878 – present |
| Architect | Ernest Runtz and Co. |
| Tenants | |
| Marina Theatre Trust (Theatre & New Cafe/Gallery premises) | |
| Website | |
| www.marinatheatre.co.uk | |
1901 and 1930 refurbished & expanded
The Marina is a theatre and cinema in Lowestoft, Suffolk, originally opened in the Victorian era. The venue has an auditorium seating 800. It plays host to major West End productions, top comedy, orchestral concerts, touring drama and musical productions, opera, ballet, music, dance and celebrity concerts as well as operating a successful cinema operation - boasting the largest screen and cinema auditoria in the town. The Marina annually hosts the largest professional pantomime on the East Anglian Coast.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has been resident at The Marina since 2005 and the theatre has seen performances by acts such as comedians Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre and Ken Dodd as well as Moscow City Ballet, The Russian Ice Stars,Micky Rooney, Meryl Osmond, Jane MacDonald, Mumford and Sons, Julian Lloyd Webber, Tony Christie, David Essex, Derren Brown and actor William Roache.
The Marina began life as a skating rink and was converted to a theatre in 1878 by architect R.F. Brett. In 1901, architect Ernest Runtz was hired to rebuild the theatre, using parts of the existing structure. The Marina was largely rebuilt once again in 1930 by architect Francis Burdett, and re-opened as a cinema by Associated British Cinemas. It was closed in 1984 and eventually purchased by Waveney District Council in 1988. It reopened in October, 1988 almost four years after its closure. It is believed the site was once part of the original Grove Estate and the remodelling in 1901 allowed for a gallery seating area possibly in a horseshoe shape with boxes. The remodelling during 1930 saw the creation of a new dress circle.
The theatre was threatened with in 2010 due to financial pressures on the local council. In December 2011 the council handed over management to the newly formed charitable Marina Theatre Trust for a period of 15 years whilst retaining ownership of the building. The Marina Theatre Trust is a registered charity number 1149133 and was formed following a successful tender by the venues award-winning management team. Leading experts from within the theatre industry, local business people and people from the local community form the board of trustees. The Friends Of The Marina Theatre acts as a voluntary support to the venue providing some fundraising and volunteer labour.
...
Wikipedia