Wightman Theatre

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14a, The Square, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1LN T: 0800 292 2116

Wightman Theatre, Shrewsbury

Originally built as a Temperance Hall in 1854 and known as Wightman Hall, this building has served a range of different purposes over the years. Having been part of the local community for 60 years, it was taken over by the government to serve as an army pay office during the first world war. It then became a dance hall, Shrewsbury Repertory theatre during the 1940s and 1950s, finally closing its doors as a theatre in 1959.

Now, in 2016, it's re-opened as a multi purpose arts and events venue to be known as The Wightman. The Wightman is run with an emphasis on versatility; events held in the space have included concerts, plays, private parties, art exhibitions and more. The venue has a capacity of 215 seats, 40 stalls or 150 people for private parties, and its location in The Square makes it an easily accessible place for private functions. 

Last Autumn, The Wightman proudly opened its doors to play host to the first professional repertory company in Shrewsbury for 56 years. The company presented a rolling programme of productions for up to 10 days at a time. Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Neville's Island and Arabian Nights received much critical acclaim and were very well received by those who came to see them. They formed what was the first professional season at the venue since 1958 and word of mouth has started to spread, building a momentum and interest in home grown professional drama and an alternative programme to that offered by other venues in Shrewsbury. 

Sell out runs of high quality work from other companies, with productions like 'Shakespeare's Will' and 'Want I Learned From Johnny Bevan' have continued the momentum and sell out concerts from Blues Boy Dan Owen, The Hanging Stars and local singer, Libby Glixmann, have shown the Wightman Theatre to have excellent acoustics for music in addition to being an excelllent performance space for live theatre.