The Hawth Theatre is an arts and entertainment complex located in of woodland about from the town centre of the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
town of
Crawley. It is wholly owned by Crawley Borough Council and is currently operated by Parkwood Theatres.
History
The
new town of Crawley had been without a theatre since its inception in 1947, leading, in part, a local newspaper editor to describe the town as soulless.
In 1986, plans were approved by the
borough council
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
for a new theatre in an area of woodland known locally as The Hawth. Development began quickly, and the theatre opened for the first time in April 1988. In 1992, the theatre hosted a performance of London City Ballet's ''
Romeo and Juliet'', which was attended by the then Her Royal Highness
Diana, Princess of Wales.
Facilities
Main auditorium
The main
auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...
seats up to 855 for performances, and can be converted to an exhibition or conference venue. The stage is around wide, with a depth of , and is equipped to a high standard with sound, lighting and staging facilities.
Studio
The Studio provides a smaller performance space, seating 146 people which hosts small-scale
contemporary dance, theatre, jazz, blues, folk and comedy. The space can be used in a flat-floor format so can be converted for film previews, club nights, cabaret seated events, workshops and rehearsals.
Amphitheatre
There is an amphitheatre performance area in the woodland at the rear of the theatre, where summer productions are performed, including productions of Shakespeare and children's theatre, as well as being used during the Crawley Folk Festival and Crawley International Mela.
Other facilities
Other performance spaces include a permanent foyer exhibition space, an on-site restaurant as well as two bars. Also during the summer a marquee is erected on the lawns to host Crawley Folk Festival, Crawley Mela and world music performances.
Programme
The theatre is mainly used to house touring productions, and has in the past seen presentations across a range of types, from movies to opera. The theatre also housed its own resident production company - Shaker Productions - in the 1990s. It now plays home to Pitchy Breath Theatre Company - a group committed to producing one newly written piece each year.
In addition, other events have visited the Hawth, ranging from circus and
juggling convention
Many countries, cities or juggling clubs hold their own annual juggling convention or juggling festivals. These are the backbone of the juggling scene, the events that regularly bring jugglers from a wide area together to socialize. The attendanc ...
s, to the hustings for conservative party leader elections in 2001.
References
External links
Hawth Theatre
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Theatres in West Sussex
Buildings and structures in Crawley
Organisations based in Crawley
Theatres completed in 1988