The building itself dates from the early years of cinema which was its original function with a billiard hall in the upstairs room. In 1953, after much sweat and toil, it was opened as the Festival Theatre to mark the Festival of Britain celebrations. The age of the building means there is always work to be done and recently the Festival Association which runs the theatre has started to carry out improvements which so far have included a complete rewire of the stage lighting, redecorating the auditorium, foyer, and stairway up to the bar area, redecorating the bar and dressing room areas and other sundry items. Like many other organisations we are now looking to the Lottery and other funding bodies to help with further projects. We have recently completed the refurbishment of the auditorium seating at a cost of £7,500. Part of this cost has been met by our seat sponsorship scheme. It is still possible to sponsor a seat and if you feel you can help in this area please contact us at info@hydefestivaltheatre.org.uk. A visit to our Sponsors Page gives more information including a list of our seat sponsors together with links to their web sites.
The Festival Theatre in Hyde, Greater Manchester is home to several amateur groups in the area whose combined efforts mean that in one season there can be as many as eleven or twelve productions ranging from drama to musicals, from dance to pantomime. It is the only live theatre venue in Hyde and in recent years there have been performances of La Cage Aux Folles, The Accrington Pals, Return To The Forbidden Planet, Peter Pan to name but a few. For more information about the individual societies who use this theatre please visit our links page.
Click on the picture to discover the theatre’s history
