Tunbridge Wells Theatre is a popular form of leisure for not only people in Tunbridge Wells but also from the surrounding areas of Tunbridge Wells.

There are two main, popular Tunbridge Wells Theatre. These are Assembly Hall Theatre and Trinity Theatre.

Assembly Hall Theatre

Assembly Hall Theatre seats around 1020 people and host many varieties of music, comedy, family, dance, drama, classical music and events together with an annual pantomime. To find out the latest events from Assembly Hall Theatre, look at our events page.

The Tunbridge Wells Theatre was built by the Tunbridge Wells Corporation and designed by two men called Percy Thomas and Ernest Prestwich, which was opened on 24^th May 1939.

The building was mainly built from brick, with details in silver and red bricks and in Portland Stone. The entrance hall and walls are of Roman Travertine Marble, with added gold and fawn ceilings.  A large lounge was added parralle with the main hall, which was originally designed for suppers to be served when the hall was in use by dancers.

When the building was first built, it only had a capacity of 822 people on the ground floor, with an added 320 people in the balcony. As well as that, it was equipped with a 22-foot x 29-foot cinema screen, allowing films to be shown. Following reservations and changes to the building, it now allows 1020 people to be seated, with around 700 on the ground floor, and a further 320 on the balcony.

During the Second World War, the Assembly Hall Theatre was used for dancers for troops, films to be shown and events to raise money for the war.

By the year 2001, the theatre itself was attracting over 150,00 people each year, which is a good amount of people, considering the population of Tunbridge Wells is about 80,00, - 100,000 people.  Due to the large amount of people, the theatre was then refurbished to include a provision of additional dressing rooms, remodeling the bar, repainting the foyer and front of house areas, and new seating as well as adding air conditions and other facilities to make the Theatre feel more comfortable.

Assembly Hall Theatre is located on Cresent Road, Part of the Tunbridge Wells Civic Centre, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2LU.

Trinity Theatre

Trinity theatre is a theatre and arts centre in Tunbridge Wells, located in the former Holy Trinity Church, which was converted in 1982 to be the Trinity Theatre.

Back in the 19^th Century, the Tunbridge Wells Spa town was short of Church capacity, with no parish Church present. So in 1818 the Church Commisioners created a fund  to provide a new churches in near by towns. It was then decided by the residents and visitors to apply for a subscription fund, qhich raised £10,591 contruction costs. A architech names Decimus Burton, agreed to design the building, which was then a popular Gothic Revival Architecture style. The first stone of Trinity Church was laid on 17^th August 1827, constructed by Mr Barrett, Tunbridge Wells, and finished the church which cost £12,000 to complete and finished in September 1829.

Due to popularity, many Churches were built, and after World War 2, there was a great fall in congregation numbers. Tunbridge Wells had a number of churches which were in great need of maintenance and reconditioning, so it was decided that the Trinity Church would be decommissioned and held its last religious service in 1972.

In 1974, the Church Commissioners stated the Holy Trinity Church ‘redundant to pastrol needs’ there by allowing for its potential demolition, creating redevelopment of the site as housing or offices. But a petition was raised by the Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society. The commissioners then gave the society one year to find a useful and suitable public use for the building, otherwise the demolotion would go ahead. There was an approval of a principle plan to turn the building into a commintity theatre and arts centre in 1976, with %50,000 being raised in six months, allowing a long term lease to be agreed from that January 1977 with the Diocese of Rochester at that time.

From that current time, supported by different people from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Kent County Council as well as the Arts Council England, they agree on a five year period of internal redevelopment to address dry rot and damaged stonework, turning the building into a theatre which could seat 350 people, providing a service to the community.

Additional grants allowed deveolpments to include a cafeteria, public bar, and redevelopment of the side of vestibules to allow for art shows and local arts classes. The National Lottery approved an application in 1996 for £600,00 of additional internal improvemnts, which created a computerized box office, some new seats, and an access ramp for wheelchair users, allowing everyone to be part of Trinity.

Trinity Theatre has worked with performers and groups from Steven Beroff to the famous Royal National Theatre, hosting international arts, film and visual arts. Trinity Theatre is know as one of the leading arts and perfoming venues in the South East of England with around 100,000 people visiting the theatre annually.

The Tunbridge Wells Drama Club remaned itself Trinity Theatre Club, which was then rebranded as the Tunbridge Wells Theatre Company at Trinity Theatre. Today it is one of the most active amateur theatre clubs, in the southeast, putting on around six productions annualy.

Hiring Trinity Theatre

Trinity Theatre is available for hiring throughout the season ranging from local community events to national corporate confences. The facilities include a 279 seated auditorium, foyer with café and bar facilities as well as a gallery meeting roon and the gardens. 

Trinity also hosts events by Charities, community groups, local artists and schools. The auditorium is good for theatrical shows, music performances and meeetings. Many schools, dance classes and theatre clubs as well as the University of Kent have used it.

Corporate Events with a tiered auditorium, large cinema screen and a projection system, with an onsite café and bar facilities, meeting rooms and a central locations in Tunbridge Wells, Trinity Theatre can help you and is ideal for corporate events, confrences or business meetins. Many recent business that have used it found it a greta venue to hold ther meetings.

As well as all of that, parties and private functions can also be help there. The café and bar can be reserved for prive hire during the day and evening and can cover up to 60 heads.

Overall, Tunbridge Wells Theatre is a popular place for community members to visit during the week or even on the weekend to relax and have a good time watching a wide range of productions from Music, Films, Comedy, Theatre as well as events for children,  put on by both Trinity Theatre and Assembly Hall Theatre.

Trinity Theatre: Church Road,Tunbridge Wells,?Kent, TN1 1JP | 01892 678 670

Assembly Hall Theatre: Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2LU | 01892 530613

Photograpgh Courtesy Of Mervyn Gaston