Our History

The Gladstone Theatre is situated in the Garden Village founded in 1888 by William Hesketh Lever to house his soap factory workers, Gladstone Hall was first an assembly and recreation hall with a platform stage for entertainment,  half-timbered over a red brick ground floor with tiled roofs and tile-hanging, fine Art Nouveau panels over the door commemorating opening of the room by Priminister W E Gladstone.

The proscenium stage seen today was added in the 1920s. Its wonderful curves and simple gilded plaster ornaments picked out in gold define its individuality. The theatre has been home to many famous shows, artists, both actors and musicians alike, comedians, dancers, and every one adds to the theatres character, it is also used by Local Operatic Societies, Musical Groups, Youth Organisations, and Dancing Schools, but it would of course be nothing without you, the audience.