New Victoria Theatre

For other theatres with a similar name, see Victoria Theatre (disambiguation)
New Victoria Theatre
Address Peacocks Centre
Woking
Coordinates 51°19′14″N 0°33′35″W / 51.3206°N 0.5598°W
Owner Ambassador Theatre Group
Type Theatre
Capacity 1,300 (seated)
Opened 1992
Years active 1992 - present
Website
New Victoria Theatre website at Ambassador Theatre Group

The New Victoria Theatre in Woking, England opened in June 1992. The main theatre seats approximately 1,300 people, making it one of the largest receiving house theatres outside London. In addition to the main theatre the complex also contains the smaller Rhoda McGaw Theatre and a six-screen cinema. The theatre has presented dramas from groups such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and the Peter Hall Company; regular visitors also include Glyndebourne on Tour, Scottish Ballet and Northern Ballet Theatre.

Large-scale musicals have included the award-winning Carmen Jones, Chicago, Cats and Miss Saigon, whilst the comedies, rock & roll musicals, children's shows and a Christmas pantomime also feature in the theatre's programme.

The theatre is split into three levels: Stalls, Royal Circle and Upper Circle, with the Royal Circle and Stalls having disabled seating available. The first three rows of the stalls (AA, BB and CC) are removed if space is needed for an orchestra pit.


Rhoda McGaw Theatre

The theatre seats 228 in 9 rows of raked seating and has been reported to have excellent acoustics. The stage is flat, 58’ wide from wall to wall, with a 36’ curtain opening. From the main tabs it is 19’ back to the cyclorama and 8’ forward to the front of the stage. The theatre has also been used by the Woking Drama Association ("WDA") to host the Woking Drama Festival and the British All Winners Festival on those occasions when it has been invited to do so by the National Drama Festivals Association. The venue has a unique relationship with the local council, whereby the council handles all the administration for the theatre, with the staffing and technical facilities run by the Ambassador Theatre Group. The council hires the theatre for four weeks each year to present professional touring productions (mostly one person shows), with the rest programmed by the WDA and local dance and drama schools.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Commissioning new work – A good practice guide for amateur theatre companies and playwrights - The Arts Council England

External links