Weymouth Pavilion

The Weymouth Pavilion stands at the southern end of The Esplanade in Weymouth, Dorset, between the harbour and the sandy beach. The present building opened in 1960 and contains a 988-seat theatre, a 600-capacity ballroom called the Ocean Room, the Piano Bar restaurant and the Ritz Café. The site has been an entertainment venue since 1908, when the first pavilion was built of timber and steel. That original structure was destroyed by fire in 1954 after wartime use by the military. The current theatre replaced it, designed by Samuel Beverley and built for £154,000. The pavilion has played a central part in the town’s cultural life for more than a century. During the Second World War it housed hundreds of Moroccan soldiers and later became a naval sorting office. In the 1950s it operated as the Ritz under Melcombe Productions before the fire. After the Second World War the council leased the site to various operators and debated its future for decades. In 2013 the building was handed to a community interest company led by local businessman Phil Say. Under his management visitor numbers rose to more than 300,000 in 2014. Inside, the theatre presents plays, musicals and pantomimes that regularly top the box office. The Ocean Room hosts dances and functions in a space designed for 600 guests. The Piano Bar and Ritz Café offer refreshments before and after performances. The building sits at the heart of Weymouth’s seafront, a short walk from the harbour’s boats and the long sandy beach. The pavilion’s programme and community events keep the tradition of seaside entertainment alive for new audiences.