Palace Theatre

The Palace Electric Theatre opened on Tuesday 13 December 1910. It was the first cinema in the town and only showed silent films at first. In 1949 the cinema was converted to a live theatre, featuring famous names such as Larry Grayson, Steve Lawrence and Hilda Baker. Mansfield District Council bought the theatre for £11,500 in 1953 and have been responsible for it ever since. After commissioning renovation work, the council reopened the theatre as 'Mansfield Civic Hall' with the first performance in the 'new' theatre being "School for Spinsters" by Chesterfield Repertory Company. In 1963, nearly all of the foyer and façade were rebuilt to give the theatre a new look. In 1968, a public…

As part of a project to make the Palace Theatre a major touring venue for the North of England, the theatre closed for major redevelopments in 1997. During the seven-month period in which it was closed, many areas of the theatre were demolished, with all of the building being completely renovated. The project cost over £2.9 million. As a result of the works, the Palace Theatre has been designated as a regional mid-scale touring venue, meaning that it caters for an audience within a 40-minute drive-time. Along with physical improvements to the theatre, programming of the venue has also been revised to offer a broader range of events suited to its new status. To complement the amateur and…