Sharnbrook Mill Theatre

The Mill Theatre is a conversion of a former water mill known as Stoke Mills. It is listed in The Domesday Book in 1086. The oldest part of the building dates from 1703, although the mill and yard buildings have since been enlarged and extended. Production eventually became uneconomic and Stoke Mills ceased operation in 1969.
In 1974 a 125-year lease was negotiated with the mill’s owners and it reopened as The Mill Theatre in 1979, managed by the Sharnbrook Mill Theatre Trust. The adjacent Mill House became a hotel and restaurant and the former mill yard and buildings became a business park.
The theatre is contained in a 4 storey Victorian warehouse building constructed in warm red bricks, reflecting its former industrial use, with a 5th storey set within the tiled gabled roof. The entrance to the theatre is contained in a two storey extension that extends over the River Ouse where the water mill was once located. The grouping of the former industrial buildings, bridges and river provide a wonderful picturesque setting.
Front-of-house facilities include a box office and a bar with views over the river from the gallery. The auditorium has fixed seating for 190 set in a single rake. There is a dedicated sound and light booth at the rear. The stage is raised and is approximately 45’ wide and 25’ deep. There is no proscenium arch; however there is a curtain track. The theatre also has a separate multi use studio/rehearsal room.
Back-of-house there is a flats storage room on the ground level, a separate props storage room and 3 additional costume rooms. The large dressing room facilities are divided into three separate compartments.
The theatre has recently upgraded its disabled access, including a lift to the upper level, and the Trust is currently trying to raise funds to install a green heating and ventilation system in the theatre.