Rotherham The Unofficial Website

Theatre

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the town of Rotherham had several theatres which attracted some of the top names in music hall and show business. These closed down ans some were used as cinemas, later as bingo halls and all of them evemtaully disappeared under the wrecking ball.

As late as the Sixties venues around the town like Rawmarsh Baths (also no longer with us) used to host top names in the Sixties like Tom Jones and Lulu.

Rotherham in the 21st Century is hardly a hotbed of professional theatre. Having said that Rotherham Civic Theatre presents a wide variety of shows including amateur musicals, dance shows, theatricals, professional shows and music with tribute shows being very popular. The annual professional pantomime is a hot-shot bestseller.

The Lyric, Dinnington run by Dinnington Parish Council is used for a variety of purposes including amateur theatricals.

In addition to these there is a theatre in Rotherham College of Arts and Technology. Very occasionally I see something on show there, usually the student's end of term performance, but it seems little used otherwise for public performance. There are theatres in some of Rotherham's schools but once again, these seem to be little used.

It has to be said that many people in the town and borough have a real yen to sing, act, playact or just sometimes act the fool. There are several amateur theatre groups that regularly present plays at Rotherham Civic Theatre. A number of operatic societies also present shows at the Civic - see Music. There are no well known professional theatre companies based in the borough. Those that are based here seem to belong to the category I call 'Social Theatre'.

I've just sort of juggled Circus Studies onto this page as it is without a doubt performing art. But is it theatre?

Various other venues, like the Montgomery Hall at Wath, Magna etc. are used for concerts, recitals and shows. Whenever I have found them they appear in the month by month listings are included in the Recreation in Rotherham - Rotherham Events - Events Diary.

There are loads of Theatre Schools. Many of these teach dance as well theatrical arts. I think that most of them are probably aimed at children.

Dearne Playhouse

Although not strictly in the Borough of Rotherham there is a theatre opened in 2006 at Goldthorpe. Goldthorpe has a Rotherham postal address so I thought I'd just mention it here. Box Office 44 (0)1709 894128.

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