Storyhouse

The Odeon cinema opened in Chester on 3 October 1936. It was designed in the Art Deco style by Robert Bullivant, under the leadership of Harry Weedon, with a total auditorium capacity of over 1600 seats. While most Odeons of that time were faced in ceramic tiles, red brick was used in Chester to respect its historic setting, near both the cathedral and the Victorian town hall. In 1976 the Odeon was converted to a three screen cinema; two more screens were added in 1991. The main internal fabric and proscenium arch remained intact. The building was listed Grade II by Historic England, then English Heritage, in 1989. The Odeon closed in 2007 and remained unused until the Storyhouse…

Following the 2009 local government reorganisation, Chester became part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester. The decision was made in 2012 to transform the now derelict Odeon Cinema into a new theatre. A multi-discipline design and construction team was appointed, led by Kier Northern. The architects, Bennetts Associates, and theatre planners, Charcoalblue, had both worked on the renovation of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. It was soon evident that the cinema building was inadequate to house a theatre. The adjacent office block, Commerce House, was demolished in 2013 and the plan revised to create an integrated cultural hub, providing theatre, cinema, library and…

The building opened on 17 May 2017 with Clifton's new version of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. Storyhouse received its official opening by Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on 14 June 2018.