West Cliff Theatre

• Theatre ID
  92
• Built / Converted
  1928
• Dates of use
  • 1928: continuing
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  Theatre
• Address
  Tower Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, CO15 1LE, England

Details

Low-built with no fly tower; hipped mansard roof behind a single storey frontage building with stucco ornamented entrance. The auditorium is a big, rectangular single-raked space of little architectural distinction, but much loved by its mainly amateur users. Opened in the same year as the Ocean Theatre on the pier, it replaced a temporary building on the same site. Initially the building was used only in the summer, but it opened all year round from 1934. A fire in a loft in 1950 destroyed the grid and stage furnishings. When Clacton UDC purchased the building, the floor was re-concreted, and the stage extended over the orchestra pit. From 1989, the theatre again became an all-year-round venue.

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• Events
  • 1894 Design/Construction:
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1928 Use: continuing
  • 1928 Alteration: rebuilt
    • G W Gould - Architect
  • 1928 Owner/Management: Bert Graham & Will Bentley
  • 1934 Owner/Management: Will Hammer’s Entertainments Ltd
  • 1958 Owner/Management: Following Will Hammer’s death in 1957, Clacton UDC purchased the building (Now Tendring DC)
  • 1985 Owner/Management: West Cliff (Tendring Trust)
• Capacities
  • Original: 800
  • Current: 590
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed
• Stage type
  • Rake (3 degrees) Open thrust available
• Dimensions
  • Stage dimensions: Depth: 6.40 (21ft) Width SL: 6.7m (22ft) SR: 6.7m (22ft)
  • Proscenium width: 8.5m (28ft)
  • Orchestra pit: Original 12. 1994: Pit accomm 3; additional accom