Thorndike

• Theatre ID
  1156
• Built / Converted
  1969
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Theatre (Theatre, cinema and worship)
• Address
  Church Street, Leatherhead, Surrey, England

Details

The striking brick and stone 1930s cinema façe, now seen best at first floor level, is by Richardson, Gill & Starkey. The Crescent, built on the site of the Manor House in 1939, was a purpose-built cinema, but had stage use throughout, including in 1941, when it became the HQ of the fire service. In 1969, it was internally gutted to build the Thorndike Theatre and Casson studio, by Roderick Ham. The entrance leads through a narrow passage to the box office and spacious foyers which lend themselves to exhibition space, and are well-used. The auditorium, which is warm and intimate, is brick-lined and has a fan of 530 raked seats with side aisles. The theatre was built to continue the Leatherhead Theatre in quarters larger than the little High Street Theatre (ex Victoria Hall). It is well-equipped with dressing rooms, green room and band room. It is now rightly recognised as one of the best and most influential theatre designs of its time.

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• Other names
  Crescent Cinema
• Events
  • 1939 Design/Construction: C Lovatt Gill & A P Starkey, as a cinema
    • A E Richardson - Architect
  • 1939 Owner/Management: Crescent Cinema (Leatherhead) Ltd, owners
  • 1969 Alteration: with Ronald Bayliss, David Hancock and Colin Bex, converted to theatre
    • Roderick Ham - Architect
  • 1969 Design/Construction:
  • 1969 Owner/Management: Leatherhead Theatre, lessees
  • 2001 Alteration:
    • Design Alliance (Chris Bourne) - Architect
• Capacities
  • Original: 1939: 1282
  • Later: 1969: 526
  • Current: 530
• Listings
  • Grade II
• Dimensions
  • Stage dimensions: Depth 1969: 16ft; 1992: 9m
  • Proscenium width: 1969: 36 ft; 1992: 11.10m
  • Orchestra pit: Original until 1969