The Congress Theatre is a
Grade II* listed, purpose built, modern theatre and conference venue in the seaside town of
Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...
,
East Sussex. It is one of the largest theatres in southern England, with seating capacity of 1,689. The theatre was designed by Bryan and Norman Westwood Architects and built in 1963. The theatre underwent major refurbishment in 2019, to reveal a bright and contemporary look, whilst fully maintaining the character of the original design. Shows include touring
West End theatre
West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes, "West End" in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1 ...
,
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
,
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
,
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
and
live music.
It was the location for the
final recorded concert by the American pianist, composer and band leader
Duke Ellington on 1 December 1973. Ellington died five months later in May 1974.
Facilities
The theatre has a licensed bar, cloakroom facilities, disabled facilities (including an
infrared
Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
system for the hard of hearing) and public phones (available in the foyer)
See also
*
Eastbourne Theatres
Eastbourne Theatres is a Borough Council#United Kingdom, council-owned theatre group responsible for three theatres in Eastbourne, England. The group is responsible for the Congress Theatre (Eastbourne), Congress Theatre, Devonshire Park Theatre ...
*
Listed buildings in Eastbourne
There are more than 130 listed buildings in the town and borough of Eastbourne, a seaside resort on the coast of East Sussex in England. Eastbourne, whose estimated population in 2011 was 99,400, grew from a collection of farming hamlets into ...
External links
Eastbourne Theatres website
Theatres in Eastbourne
1963 establishments in England
Grade II* listed buildings in East Sussex
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