Connaught Theatre
1 sound
The Connaught Theatre was originally built as the purpose-built Picturedrome cinema, and opened in July 1914. In 1917 the Connaught Hall was built for dances, concerts and drama performances.
The two venues coexisted until 1935; in that year the Worthing Repertory Company, which had been outgrowing the Connaught, moved next door to the Picturedrome, renamed the building the Connaught Theatre and commissioned an architect to extend the façade of the building in an Art Deco style to mirror the style of the Odeon chain of cinemas that were sweeping the country.
The Connaught closed for a period in 1966 and was taken over by Worthing Borough Council. The venue was at risk of closure again in 1986, and since 1987 it has been a dual use cinema/theatre with two screens.
