Bedford Civic Theatre

The Bedford Civic Theatre stands on Horne Lane in Bedford town centre. Built between 1859 and 1860 as Bedford School’s assembly hall, it became a theatre after the school moved in 1891. The architect James Horsford also designed St Luke’s Church in St Peter’s Street. A stage and proscenium arch were added around 1900, and the building was converted into a theatre between 1948 and 1952. It was renamed the Civic Theatre by Weyman Mackay, a well-known figure in amateur dramatics after the Second World War. The theatre hosted plays, musicals, exhibitions and festivals. Groups such as the Bedford Dramatic Society, Bradgate Players and Swan Theatre Company regularly performed there. The Bedford Pantomime Company staged Christmas shows before moving to the Corn Exchange. The Bedfringe festival, launched in 2007, used the Civic Theatre as its main venue. The building is a Grade II listed structure, recognised by The Theatres Trust in 2010. Today the former theatre houses Bedford Borough Council’s Customer Service Centre. The entrance foyer once held a plaque, but it was removed during redecoration in the 1990s. The building’s history reflects Bedford’s cultural life, from school hall to theatre and now a civic hub.