Beccles Public Hall and Theatre

The Beccles Public Hall and Theatre lies in the heart of Beccles and is a major public and streetscape building. It was constructed in 1785 by the Corporation of Beccles Fen which decided that the building of a public room as an Assembly Room and Playhouse would encourage people of independent means to move to the town. Funding for building the room was obtained by selling £25 tontine bonds at 5% interest. By 1790 a coach house was added with a card room accommodated above (now demolished). The hall was used for a variety of purposes including theatre, balls, assemblies, the Portreeve’s Feast, a dancing school, a place of worship and a library. The original Georgian building had a brick facade of three storeys. In 1903 it underwent refurbishment and it was stuccoed along all sides and was given curved Baroque tops on both the Smallgate and the Station Road elevations, with a transverse roof at the front parallel with Smallgate. The quoins, shouldered architraves and small pediments over the windows date from this time. By 1920 the Baroque style had gone and four large triangular pediments replaced the curved top. Today it has a cornice and a shallow hipped roof for its length. The two storey main entrance facade to Smallgate is now painted white, with black lettering PUBLIC HALL picked out above the timber entrance doors and two metal light brackets a feature. Single storey return with 5 pedimented timber-sash windows. Plain render to rear and side. Internally, double doors lead into an entrance lobby, grand staircase with toilets to either side. Flat floored Hall with sprung floor. Pseudo three-centred arched proscenium featuring gold decorative reliefs and Fleur de Lis motifs to spandrels and panels, dated 1903 in keystone. Raised and projecting stage. Dressing rooms to rear. Side extension contains storage areas and kitchen as well as stairs to vaulted brick basement. Lowered ceiling to dentiled cornice, with technical lighting and hanging bars. Single balcony to rear with metal handrail, five rows of tip-up seats and control box. In every way, a public hall, a facility for the community which continues to accommodate a wide range of activities from events, concerts and performances to special interest groups.