Sheringham Little Theatre

EDP People's Choice Award

In October 2016, a public vote awarded the Little Theatre an arts award as part of the 2016 Norfolk Arts Awards for the best Small Venue / Festival / Organisation / Production.

History

The building that houses the modern theatre was constructed in 1897, originally serving as the Town Hall. A new Town Hall having been built in Church Street, the site evolved into a local centre for the arts, and silent films were shown to the public from 1914. The building was taken over by Victor Harrison in 1930 and adopted the name The Picture House, but was renamed The Empire from 1958 to 1960, at which point it was converted into the theatre which it has remained ever since.

Programme

The Little Theatre is home to one of the last surviving summer repertory seasons in the United Kingdom and runs 'rep' performances from July to September each year and, in 2014, it celebrated its 50th anniversary as a local centre for arts. There are also occasional art exhibitions and various kinds of performing arts, including a traditional Christmas pantomime as well as showings of classic and contemporary films (especially outside the summer months).

Youth Theatre

As well as the wide of range of film screenings and both professional and amateur productions, the theatre is also home to highly successful and popular youth productions that are a real showcase of local talent and a night for everyone to enjoy.

In recent years the group have performed shows including: Annie (2013), Les Misérables (2014), Fiddler on the Roof (2015), The Phantom of the Opera (2015) and Evita (2016). Their last production was in September, when they performed a selection of songs from musical theatre. Entitled "The Best of the Best", the production celebrated the very best of their past work, with selections from previous productions plus new selections from musicals they plan to perform over the next few years.