The Assembly Rooms Theatre

The Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre stands in the centre of Durham, a small proscenium arch theatre with 175 seats. Built in the eighteenth century, it began as a ballroom and later became a cinema before returning to live drama. The theatre was renamed in 2023 after the baritone singer and former Durham University chancellor Sir Thomas Allen. The building has a varied past, including use as a drill hall by Durham University in the mid-twentieth century. Major refurbishments in 2007–2009 and 2019 restored the ornate ceiling, added wheelchair access, a bar and a lift, and reduced capacity to 175. These works won the City of Durham Trust Architectural Award in 2020. Visitors find a lively programme of student productions, music ensembles and festivals such as the Durham Drama Festival and Durham Fringe Festival. The theatre hosts 33 Durham Student Theatre companies plus the resident Elysium Theatre Company. Its foyer and auditorium reflect the careful restoration of earlier features.