History
This theatre, which boasts of having the smallest stage in a professional theatre in the country and only 180 seats, has been a much loved institution in the town throughout its history, whether as town hall, 'flea-pit' or theatre.
In 1891, the land on which the theatre now stands was home to six small cottages in a triangular area. They were lived in by old Sheringham families, shopkeepers and fishermen, although one, Benjamin Barcham, was also 'Overseer of the Poor'. In the space where the entrance to the theatre is now, there stood a copper for cooking whelks and if further proof were needed, when the building was being refurbished, they found whelk shells in the foundation.
After the railway came in 1887, the town began to thrive with frequent trains bringing holiday visitors and taking away crabs and fish to be sold. The town was prospering and it must have seemed a good idea to develop this prime site, so it was sold to Thomas Wallace and Richard Carter from Norwich who, by 1897, had built six shops and a large hall. Shortly afterwards the whole site was sold, first to Watts and then Jarrolds, who turned the largest shop on the corner into a library that many locals still remember with affection, and then gave the hall to the town. The Town Hall was never meant for council meetings but, like a village hall, for social events, public meetings and to be let out to the public.
It was well used with the first arts and crafts exhibition held in 1902 in aid of the fishing boat disaster fund, followed soon after by an exhibition of 'woodcarvings by young fisher lads taught by Miss Alice Jefferies'. Concerts, receptions, lectures, dances, political meetings and fund raising events such as bowling for a pig followed thick and fast. They didn't forget 'the young' with magic lantern slides (entrance one halfpenny) and children's Christmas parties, with the presents being given by Gofather West out of his crab boat dragged from the foreshore especially for the occasion.
Throughout World War I there were regular showings of silent films, although there was competition from Mr Sadler, who built the Electric Picture Palace on the Cromer Road in August 1914. This is now the Freemason's Hall. In 1926, he built the Regency Hall also on the Cromer Road complete with orchestra pit for concerts and in 1930 when talkies were introduced, Sadler switched them to the concert hall, which can still be seen today as the Sportsman's Bar.
By then films were so popular that in 1938 the town hall was converted into 'The Picture House' advertised as 'the house for discriminating picturegoers with the most up to date programme in Norfolk'. In spite of this, locals called it 'Bottom Pictures' or 'The Flea Pit' as opposed to 'Top Pictures' which was the posh Regent. It was still surrounded by shops, although one had been converted into the Picture House Café, run by Mr Clack .By 1958 both cinemas were in the hands of the Empire chain. In a momentous decision after two years of wrangling and a public opinion poll they decided that films could be shown at the Regent on a Sunday but not at the Picture House, which they now called 'The Empire Cinema'
By this time there was intense competition from TV, Anglia had just started up and both cinemas were failing. In 1960 the Sheringham District Council refused to renew the lease and closed the cinema on April 30. Instead they built up the stage, arranged to have dressing rooms over Mr Clack's café and organised a summer repertory season to begin in July under the direction of Mr J.Baxter Sommerville. Summer rep, amateur drama and eventually films continued until 1972 when the theatre came under threat not from poor audiences but from the reorganisation of local government.
Sheringham Urban Council was being replaced by North Norfolk District Council The building had been earmarked for storage and would most likely be pulled down. Sheringham people were determined not to lose their theatre and in 1973, under the presidency of the Hon Robin (now Lord) Walpole, formed the Little Theatre Society. North Norfolk Council continued to own the building and support it with grants, but the running of it was now entirely in the hands of its members.
Because of the dedication of everyone involved, concerts, films, art exhibitions, amateur drama, touring companies and, most importantly, summer rep has thrived. At one time Sheringham was the only theatre in the country that still had a repertory company and is famous for keeping rep alive during the 80s. Since 1973, the building has survived dry rot, rotten floorboards, had several replacement of seats, absorbed the shops, lost its balcony , gained a bar and been modernised in 1995-7 with a lottery grant. It now houses a highly professional theatre but with Lord Walpole still as its president, a Board of unpaid directors from the immediate area and an army of willing workers who are all local volunteers, it continues a proud tradition of belonging well and truly to the local community.
In 2004 the exterior of the theatre received a much-needed make-over and in 2005 proceeds from "An Evening with Michael Palin" were put towards new exterior signs for the Little Theatre. Most recently, in January 2007 a Lottery Awards For All grant enabled the Theatre to refurbish The Hub Coffee Bar and this is now used for the benefit of young people with regular workshops.
The Little Theatre is proud to host one of the last surviving summer repertory seasons and in 2006 the theatre, for the first time, produced the professional season in-house. Following the enormous success, the theatre continues to produce a 10-week professional programme of traditional summer sea-side repertory theatre.