Sue Townsend Theatre

The Sue Townsend Theatre stands in Leicester’s city centre, a converted arts venue that has worn many names. It began as the Phoenix Theatre in 1963, a modest 262-seat house built by the council as a stopgap while plans for a permanent theatre took shape. Richard Bryant designed the building, and Clive Perry became its first director. Over the decades it became the Phoenix Arts Centre, then the Upper Brown Street Theatre, before finally taking its present name in 2015. The theatre’s survival owes much to local campaigner Julian Wright, who fought demolition plans in the 1980s and again in 2009. Leicester College now runs the space, blending training with public performances. The theatre’s significance lies in its role as a cradle for new writing and performers. Sue Townsend’s early plays premiered here, including The Ghost of Daniel Lambert and Captain Christmas and the Evil Adults. Michael Bogdanov directed a string of bold productions in the 1970s, from Hamlet to The Threepenny Opera, while touring companies like Flying Phoenix took shows into Leicestershire communities. The building also nurtured actors such as Anthony Hopkins and Roberta Kerr, and hosted groundbreaking adaptations like The Hobbit and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. Leicester Polytechnic later stepped in to keep the doors open when funding faltered. Visitors find a working theatre with a 262-seat auditorium and a programme that mixes student shows with professional touring acts. The space hosts everything from musicals like Hairspray to cabaret evenings and student revues. The walls still echo with the names of writers and performers who cut their teeth here, and the building retains a sense of its layered past. Outside, the city’s Cultural Quarter offers cafés and galleries within a short walk. Inside, the theatre’s compact scale makes every seat feel close to the stage.