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Landmark Theatre
Proscenium arch
The Landmark Theatre is an award winning theatre in the North Devon coastal town of
Ilfracombe. Of unusual (even controversial) double conical design, it is locally referred
to as Madonna's Bra, a reference to its shape and that of an iconic brassiere worn by the
singer Madonna.
It was built to replace 'The Pavilion Theatre', a Victorian
building partly destroyed in a fire during the 1980s and later demolished. The
architectural merit of the theatre is widely questioned, since the style of the buildings
bears no resemblance whatsoever to any others around it.
There are many who
regret the decision of Ilfracombe town planners over the years to pull down Victorian
buildings and to replace them with modern structures that do not fit with the character of
the town. The Landmark, which - from a distance - looks much like the cooling towers of a
power station, represents this unfortunate inclination.
