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The building which is now The Playhouse Theatre was opened in 1806 as Henry Thompson's Montpellier Baths, a highly fashionable venue at which the mineral waters could be enjoyed. The baths included fourteen warm baths, beautifully fitted with marble and Dutch tiles, one large cold, and several steam rooms. In 1809 Thompson's Baths were so popular that they received over 100 visitors a week. Adjoining was Mr. Thompson's Salts Manufactory where visitors, having undergone the water treatment, were able to purchase some of the salts crystalised. Many distinguished personages visited the town including the Duke of Wellington who came to Thompson's Baths in 1823 to drink the waters and take a course of baths in which it is said he used to sit and read his newspapers.
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| The Playhouse |
In 1898 the medicinal baths were brought by the council and later converted to a swimming pool and slipper baths. The tiled swimming pool still exists beneath the floor of the main auditorium and serves as a store for stage rostra and other theatrical properties.
At the end of the war, the building was converted into a theatre
and on April 9th 1945 the first production opened in The Civic Playhouse as
it was then called. It was G. B. Shaw's Arms and the Man and apparently he was impressed enough to send one of his famous postcards in congratulation. It read "Three Cheers for leisured Cheltenham!!! It has trumped the Civic Playhouse of Industrial Bradford. May the example of the twain be followed all over the British Land." The Civic Playhouse also received congratulations from Cheltenham born actor Ralph Richardson. Despite a fire in 1950 and in 1957 withdrawal of municipal funding, the Playhouse continued to function.
Today The Playhouse is owned by the Cheltenham Borough Council but the management of the building and its activities are undertaken entirely voluntarily. The theatre showcases the best of non-professional drama of exceptionally high standards to the theatre-going public. Many talented amateur theatrical societies use the the theatre for their performances and help to keep the theatre open for the public.
The bar at The Playhouse is open 45 minutes before performances and during intervals. It is advisable to order your interval drinks before the performance to avoid a queue.
The box office is open 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday,
10am - 2.30pm on Saturdays and from 6pm until curtain up on performance nights. You can also book or reserve your tickets over the telephone on 01242 522852. Reservations without payment will be held for five days while you send a cheque, made payable to The Playhouse Theatre.
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