Dolman Theatre

The Dolman Theatre stands in Newport, Wales, on Emlyn Square Road beside the Kingsway Shopping Centre. It was rebuilt in 1967 after the old Newport Little Theatre closed. The building now has a glass front, a new foyer-bar and three rehearsal rooms. The shopping centre once opened directly into the theatre, but that entrance became an emergency exit. The side facing the road was completely rebuilt to match the city’s wider renovations. The theatre belongs to Newport Playgoers Society, a leading amateur company founded in 1924. Arthur Dolman helped secure its new home in 1967, and the building keeps his name. Inside, the 400-seat auditorium has a proscenium stage and a rising orchestra pit that can turn the space into a thrust stage. A smaller 60-seat studio serves rehearsals and flexible performances. Visitors enter through the foyer-bar, where a mural by Hans Feibusch shows an early travelling theatre. The main auditorium hosts shows by Newport Playgoers and outside groups such as Newport Operatic Society. The studio often stages work by Playgoers New Generation, the junior branch. The building remains a charity run by volunteers for Newport and the wider area.