Aside from Dreamland and a whole lot of sand, there are very few things as synonymous with the seaside town of Margate as the iconic Theatre Royal. Not to make it about me, or anything – but had I not first discovered my love of all things dramatic up on that very stage back in the early noughties; I would’ve never moved to the capital city to attend drama school. And I certainly wouldn’t be writing for Secret London now. So, the prospect of this iconic institution making the ultimate comeback next year is pretty darn exciting, as far as I’m concerned.
Thought to be the second oldest working theatre in the entire country; the Theatre Royal has been perched proudly in the middle of Margate since 1787. Bursting at the seams with history and charm; the theatre certainly has many tales to tell. But it sadly had to close its curtains back in 2022, as the Grade II* listed building had started to drastically deteriorate. The future wasn’t looking wildly bright for the historic playhouse, but Thanet District Council swept in to save the day; allocating a rather hefty sum of funding to give the theatre a bit of a glow up.
The generous cash injection towards the theatre’s ambitious refurb was allocated from the Margate Town Deal, and the ‘phase-one budget’ reportedly came to around £6 million in total. That money has certainly been put to good use, being used for the likes of major structural repairs, essential safety work, upgrading the seating and facilities, and making the theatre more accessible. The phase one works are almost finished, and Thanet District Council is now looking for a new operator ahead of the theatre reopening next year.
The process of finding an organisation to take over the long-term lease of the Theatre Royal Margate will be managed by the local council and property firm, Colliers. They’re hoping to find a new operator by the end of this summer, and the 480-seat theatre is set to reopen in time to put on a 2027 pantomime. Oh, yes it is…
Find out more about Thanet District Council’s plans to reopen Theatre Royal Margate here.
