Loft Theatre

The Loft Theatre stands beside the River Leam in the centre of Royal Leamington Spa. It occupies the former Victorian Grand Pavilion, a building once used as a roller skating rink. During the Second World War the pavilion housed the Directorate of Camouflage, part of the Ministry of Home Security. The company bought the pavilion in 1945 after nine years without a permanent home. Two fires in 1958 and 1964 led to the present theatre, completed in 1968. The theatre’s name comes from its first home, a converted barn where performances were held in the hay loft. The theatre is worth the journey because it is run almost entirely by volunteers and relies on charity donations. It produces around nine shows each year in the main auditorium and a smaller number in the Douglas Ford studio. Unlike many professional theatres, actors often join the audience in the bar after performances. The main auditorium seats two hundred and is fully air conditioned. The Douglas Ford studio provides an intimate space for fifty people. Visitors find a main auditorium with comfortable seating and air conditioning. The smaller Douglas Ford studio offers a more intimate setting for performances. The bar allows audiences and performers to meet after shows. The building sits beside the River Leam in the heart of Leamington Spa. Its history as a roller rink and wartime camouflage centre adds to the theatre’s character.