Grand Theatre

On 15th November 1898, under the direction of Messrs Morell and Mouillot, the Grand Theatre was opened by Mrs Kendal. The spot was linked to Above Bar by the narrow Aslatt's Cut, which disappeared with the construction of the Civic Centre Road in the 1930s. Described as a playhouse, it was acoustically excellent. It was built of red brick with terra-cotta dressings in a style reminiscent of the French Renaisance.

The body of the theatre was circular in form but surrounded with a continuous three storey range, rectangular except for the curved entrance front. The entrance front was embellished with a crowning balustrade and a central tower, surmounted by a high domed lantern, marking the main entrance above which was a balustraded balcony within an arch all below a split pediment.

The auditorium was horse-shoe shaped with stalls, pit, dress circle and gallery. To either side of the proscenium arch (tall, rectangular but with rounded corners) an unusually wide box at both upper levels, the same width as the rectangularly coffered sounding board.

After the war and a few successful years of repertory, Arts Council funding was diverted from the Salisbury Playhouse to the Grand, but its fortunes declined with the theatre owner presenting shows of a tawdry nature, with the odd "mobile" nude. Commander Cooper of the Theatre Royal Portsmouth leased it for a short time but failed to save it from closure. The site was redeveloped.