Theatre (Chichester)

• Theatre ID
  1754
• Built / Converted
  1791
• Dates of use
  • 1791 - 1850
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  converted to other use (Shops)
• Address
  43 South Street/Theatre Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, England

Details

Built in red brick with a tiled, hipped roof with eaves along Theatre Lane. To the two-storey entrance facade on South Street, however, there is a parapet incorporating a pediment over the slightly advanced central three bays. At first floor level the advanced section contains two tall windows either side of a central, smaller blind opening. A similar blind window is in each of the flanking bays. The ground floor is marred by a modern, full-width shop front. Replacing an earlier theatre on the same corner site, the present building formed part of a circuit which included Southampton, Winchester, Portsmouth and Newport (IOW). It survived until 1850 when it was sold at auction to become variously a brewhouse, gymnasium, library, furnishers, a box office for the Chichester Festival Theatre and latterly shops. Although nothing of the theatre remains internally the shell and roof are original making it a rare and important example of a small, late eighteenth century theatre.

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• Events
  • 1791 - 1850 Use:
  • 1791 Design/Construction:
    • Thomas Andrews (of St Pancras) - Architect
  • 1850 Alteration: converted to brewhouse
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1791 - 1827 Owner/Management: Thomas Collins & James Davies
  • 1827 Owner/Management: Kelly & Maxfield
  • 1835 - 1837 Owner/Management: Davenport
  • 1840 Owner/Management: Pool
  • 1846 - 1847 Owner/Management: Holmes
  • Owner/Management: It was also leased to Thomas Trotter
• Listings
  • Grade II
• Stage type
  • Rake
• Dimensions
  • Building dimensions: Plot: 34ft X 107ft 4in. Ext: 32ft X 102ft