Bob Hope

The parish hall was built to a competition design illustrated in The Builder in 1909. The plan showed a poor little stage (although competition conditions had specified occasional use for drama) and no dressing rooms.

The Eltham Little Theatre (amateur) company leased the hall, which became their permanent home, from 1946. Bob Hope, who was born in Eltham, became the theatre’s benefactor, enabling the company to purchase the hall in 1981 and carry out major improvements in the early 1990s.

Externally it still has much of the character of a village hall of the early twentieth century, but internally it has been completely redesigned. The old hall had a proscenium arch which has been blocked to enlarge the backstage accommodation. The new stage occupies the full width of the building, a false proscenium being inserted as required. There is no fly tower. Cloths, if used, are tumbled. The old balcony has been removed and the auditorium is now a single rake with manually operated retractable seating.

The company produces some nine shows annually and also lets the theatre out to other companies. A large bar has been created to the side of the foyer and this also serves as a small performance space for music, readings, story-telling groups etc.