Connaught Theatre

The Picturedrome was opened on 29th January 1914 with a seating capacity of 860, all on one level. It was designed by Eastbourne based architect Peter Dulvey Stonham. Refurbishments were carried out in May 1933 to the plans of architect A.T. Goldsmith. A stage house and fly tower were built and the building was given an Art Deco ‘Odeon’ style frontage. The Picturedrome re-opened on 31st July 1933 with Cecily Courtneidge in “Soldiers of the Queen”. The Picturedrome was closed on 17th June 1935.

The building was given a new entrance foyer, with a bar located above, and it re-opened on 30th September 1935 as the Connaught Theatre, a new home of live drama in Worthing.

The Connaught Theatre, now operated by Worthing Borough Council, began to screen films again, when on 2nd March 1987 “A Chorus Line” was screened. A second screen seating 220 has been created from a space within the Connaught Buildings. The original main auditorium space now seats 506, and is used for live theatre and films.

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DavidSimpson on November 15, 2015 at 9:37 pm

The second screen was originally called the Ritz. The intention was to achieve a full restoration of the Edwardian interior. The entrance is to the right of the Connaught Theatre. The first film was “Nell”, starring Jodie Foster, on 3rd June 1995. On my visit, in August 2000, I saw the children’s film “Thomas and the Magic Railroad” at the Ritz. This screen has subsequently been renamed Connaught Studio.