Little (Southport)

• Theatre ID
  1911
• Built / Converted
  1937
• Dates of use
  • 1937: continuing
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Theatre (amateur theatre)
• Address
  Hoghton Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 0PA, England
• Website
  • Southport Dramatic Club @ Little Theatre

Details

Southport Dramatic Club, formed in 1920, performed in various venues including the Garrick Theatre. When that became a cinema, the club raised funds to build its own theatre in 1937. The theatre is situated behind Victoria House Hoghton Street and is approached through a passageway beneath the east side, which opens into a quadrangle. The theatre is plain, brick built. The foyer houses a box office and stairs lead up to the rear of the well-raked single tier auditorium (396 seats). This has decorated treatment on the walls which curve slightly towards the proscenium which is plain but relieved with white columns on either side with concealed lighting. The ceiling is plain with three plaster troughs, also containing concealed lighting. Raked stage with three traps and fly tower above (handline and coutnerweight flying), with paint frame and workshop space at rear. A rehearsal studio was built in 1966 when an adjoining house was acquired, and a bar later added (on car park space), which has stage lighting, enabling in-the-round performance.

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• Events
  • 1937 Use: continuing
  • 1937 Design/Construction:
    • Albert Schofield - Architect
  • 1966 - 0 Alteration: adjoining property acquired and rehearsal studio built (architect unknown).
  • 1980 - 0 Alteration: car park converted to bar (architect unknown).
  • 1984 - 0 Alteration: refurbished following fire (architect unknown).
  • 1936 - 2000 Owner/Management: Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, owners; Southport Dramatic Club lessees.
  • 2000 - 0 Owner/Management: Southport Dramatic Club, owners
  • 2000 - 0 Alteration: ground floor altered to provide lift and disabled access.
    • Craig Foster - Architect
• Capacities
  • Original: 398
  • Later: 2000: 396 + 2 wheelchairs
  • Current: 396 (+ 2)
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed - but within Conservation Area
• Stage type
  • Raked stage; proscenium with apron and orchestra pit
• Dimensions
  • Stage dimensions: w: 8.52m d: 6.0m apron 1.83m wings 3.4m each side
  • Proscenium width: 3.96m
  • Orchestra pit: 10