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The Leatherhead Theatre
Théâtre à l'italienne
There has been a history of theatre in the Leatherhead area since Tudor times, with Henry VIII and his cultured palace at nearby Nonsuch Park. Barnstormers would frequently act out melodramas in village halls around the little town.
In 1890 the Victoria Hall opened in the High Street. Until 1910 this was home to many a blood curdling melodrama.
The coming of silent movies saw conversion to a picture house, then the "talkies" and a boom period during World War two. In the late 1940s there were two attempts to realise the theatrical potential of the building. These were not entirely successful, but saw the basement convert to the "Green Room Club". A taste of things to come…
In 1950 Hazel Vincent Wallace and her friends were searching for a home for the London based "Under Thirty Theatre Group". They saw the already dilapidated Victoria Hall and were enchanted by it despite a failure to notice the damp walls, leaking roof, three tiny dressing rooms or negligible front entrance. Young, full of enthusiasm and equipped with £2000 capital, they set out to create a theatre that would lead the country!
In April 2001, Pioneer People signed a 15-year lease on the Theatre. There followed an ambitious and extensive refurbishment programme, including a complete re-wire, installation of new boilers and new sound and light systems in the auditorium.
By November 2001, although far from complete, the Theatre was ready to host it's first event in 4 years - "Curtain Up", a review of musical numbers from major West End musicals. The event was a sell-out success and raised over £5,000 for Romanian orphans.
The community was delighted. Theatre had returned to Leatherhead.
In 2004, The Pioneer People dissolved and the charity became The Leatherhead Revival Trust, passing the day-to-day operations to The Leatherhead Theatre Company Ltd. And now functions as an independent community theatre.
