Brixham Theatre

The new Market Building opened in 1886 at a cost of £3,000. Over the Magistrate’s room and offices for the Harbour Commissionaires was a large upper hall for public meetings, concerts and theatre, seating 800. BATS (Brixham Arts & Theatre Society) was formed in 2008 in an attempt to halt the building’s gradual decline. By fundraising, marketing and encouraging volunteers, BATS managed to invest in improvements that included dividing the auditorium into three different areas to be used for larger or smaller shows. BATS managed to invest in improvements so that the auditorium can be used in three different configurations depending on the size of the show. The full auditorium can seat 250 on a combination of flat and raked seating, or dividing curtains can be drawn to create The Studio which has 100 raked seats with an acting area of 5.4m wide x 2.3 m deep and The Stage which has 150 seats on a flat level. Refurbishment of backstage areas, catering, seating and technical facilities led to a full lease being granted by Brixham Town Council in 2013 with plans for further development.