The Gwyn Hall was previously a four-storey

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

in the town centre of

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. Following a fire in 2007 it was substantially rebuilt, retaining its facade but moving the theatre to the ground floor, with flexible seating configurations. The third floor houses a cinema pod and a third screen for films with retractable seating. In addition, a glass atrium cafe was added to the frontage which was previously the car park.

History

Gwyn Hall was originally built in

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

on land given by

Howel Gwyn Howel Gwyn (24 June 1806 – 25 January 1888) of Dyffryn, Neath, was a British Conservative politician, who represented Penryn and Falmouth (1847–57) and Brecon (1866–68). Early life Gwyn was the son of William Gwyn and Mary Anne Roberts ...

. The theatre was built by English architect John Norton at a cost of £6,000, who had also built the church, St David's, which sits on the other side of the road. The completion of the building was commemorated by the unveiling of a statue of Howel Gwyn outside the hall by

Sir John Dillwyn-Llewellyn, 1st Baronet Sir John Talbot Dillwyn-Llewelyn, 1st Baronet (26 May 1836 – 6 July 1927) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament who was notable for his links to Welsh sports. Background and education Llewelyn was the son of photographer and scientist ...

on 26 September 1888. The positioning of the statue caused controversy at the time as it was thought that it would interfere with traffic. Subsequently, in 1967, the statue was moved to its present position in the nearby Victoria Gardens. The building was used as a

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

and also served as a meeting place for council business until the construction of the Neath Civic Centre in the 1960s. Classical concerts were held at the hall, including a performance of Handel's ''Messiah'', upon receiving an organ given by the widow of Howel Gwyn in November 1889. While undergoing a £4m refurbishment in October 2007, Gwyn Hall was almost destroyed by fire. The hall has undergone extensive reconstruction and modernisation with work completed in 2012. The work included a 3D cinema, a public café bar, a new theatre with retractable seating for films and live shows and a flexible studio space.'The Gwyn Hall Theatre'
''Neath Port Talbot Council'', 1 April 2011 ccessed 21 August 2011/ref>

References

{{reflist

External links

'Website'
''Celtic Leisure''.
'Gwyn Hall - a brief history'
''Neath Port Talbot Council''. Buildings and structures in Neath Media and culture in Neath Port Talbot Performing arts centres in Wales Tourist attractions in Neath Port Talbot