Theatre Royal Wakefield

Looking back at how Theatres Trust has supported Theatre Royal Wakefield over the years

Theatre Royal Wakefield is a Grade II* listed building and the smallest surviving theatre designed by renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham. Today it is an important receiving house in its region and is embedded within its local area through its innovative community programmes and loyal volunteer base.

But like many theatres across the UK, Theatre Royal Wakefield suffered a period when it fell from live performance use, becoming a cinema in the 1950s and then later, a bingo hall. An all too familiar tale.

Fortunately, a passionate local group came together in the early 1980s to bring the building back into theatrical use. Theatres Trust was on hand from 1981 to offer our support and expertise, and we were delighted when a restored Theatre Royal Wakefield reopened in 1986.

This was just the beginning of our close association with this wonderful theatre. 

In 2016 Theatre Royal Wakefield was one of the recipients of our Spend a Penny grant scheme, receiving a £15k contribution towards its plans to create three additional ladies’ loos in its new extension, which opened in 2018.

Theatre Royal Wakefield has since been the recipient of two further grants from us, one from our Theatre Reopening Fund to reinstate and upgrade the flying system that deteriorated during the pandemic closure, and from our Small Grants Programme in 2022 to install CCTV equipment.

We are lucky enough to have Theatre Royal Wakefield’s Chief Executive Katie Town on our Board of Trustees, with Katie serving as our Vice Chair.

This case study was produced as part of our Fifty@50 campaign to mark our 50th anniversary in 2026.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Theatr Royal Wakefield