New theatre opening at Thomas Hardye school
The school's old theatre has had a complete refurb
A new theatre for Dorchester is about to open at the Thomas Hardye school.
The Hardye Theatre is the new name for the Thomas Hardye School’s theatre, which has been completely refurbished and is now a state of the art, acoustically superb, four hundred seat theatre for the town.
In early 2020, it became clear that the project to turn The Maltings at Brewery Square into a theatre for Dorchester would not succeed, as funding was not available. At the time, Dorchester Arts pledged to find another way to provide better arts facilities for the county town, and the refurbishment of the Hardye Theatre is a key part of that alternative plan.
Dorchester Arts was delighted that both Dorset Council and Dorchester Town Council supported a plan to make use of Section 106 funds generated by the development of Poundbury, to both refurbish the Corn Exchange, and help towards the costs of upgrading the school theatre. The success of this plan means that the town now has two high-quality performance venues, one with 150 seats (the refurbished Corn Exchange) and now the Hardye Theatre with more than 400 seats - the provision had the Maltings had been possible, but at a fraction of the cost and with additional benefits for both the school and the wider community.
Mark Tattersall, Artistic Director, said ‘We are grateful to the school for involving us in the planning of the theatre, making sure that it meets not only their needs but also those of our audiences and performers. It is a wonderful new space, with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, and we look forward to bringing exciting shows of all kinds to both Dorchester venues!’
The first show (4 August) will be Australian singers The Spooky Men’s Chorale, and the second (29 September) young pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. Both shows are proving popular, with sales already high. Tickets are available through the Dorchester Arts website, dorchesterarts.org.uk