Nottingham Playhouse

Nottingham Playhouse stands in the city centre beside Nottingham Cathedral. The theatre opened in 1963 after moving from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Peter Moro, who had worked on the Royal Festival Hall in London, designed the modern concrete building. Its circular auditorium seats 770 people and faces the Gothic Revival cathedral by Augustus Pugin. In 1965 the new building received a Civic Trust Award despite early controversy. The theatre has won national recognition for both its productions and its work in the community. In 2019 it was named The Stage Regional Theatre of the Year and in 2023 UK Theatre’s Most Welcoming Theatre. Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror sculpture, installed in 2001, won Nottingham Pride of Place in a public vote. Recent productions such as Punch by James Graham and A Christmas Carol by Mark Gatiss have transferred to London’s West End. The theatre also runs youth theatres and classes for people at risk of homelessness. Inside, the proscenium stage presents up to thirteen new productions each year. Visitors find a restored auditorium with modern environmental upgrades that cut energy use by over a third. The foyer overlooks Wellington Circus and the cathedral, while the Sky Mirror reflects the changing sky. Backstage, the fly tower has been insulated and double glazing installed. The theatre’s education programme tours professional shows to schools across the East Midlands and beyond.