Hampshire is home to many pop and rock concerts, art galleries with fine art collections from the 20th century, and theatres where visitors can rival in dance, orchestra, and acting performances.
The Palace Theatre in Manchester
Designed and built to resemble its namesake in New York City, the Palace Theatre was opened in 1915, and visitors come from near and far to see performances by Harry Houdini and the Marx Brothers. Once restored in 1974, it had seating for an orchestra, and aesthetic and structural improvements took it back to its original majestic status.
Scenic Theatre, Pittsfield
Arthur and Valien Dame were the owners of this 1914 historic building. At the time, The Pittsfield Players, a theatre group, was initiated by Roland Charron. They would perform in Suncook Valley, bringing their stage that had to be removed after a play for the theatre’s movie night.
Later, the Players bought the theatre, restored it to its natural state and re-introduced the name, and now it is an intimate theatre with 150 seats. Six shows a year include musicals, dramas, dinner theatre, kid’s theatre workshops and comedies.
Keene’s Colonial Theater
The Colonial Theater in Keene is a non-profit organisation founded in 1924 and renovated in 1993 to become a hub for creative events. Reviews are not the best, but visitors will have front row tickets to live performances, from comedies to orchestras, in a building over a century old.
From old theatres to the Highclere Castle, used as the backdrop for Downton Abbey, Hampshire has a colourful history in arts and culture and many places to visit for an evening of theatre, music, and films.