The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury re-opened in October 2011 after an extensive rebuild and has since become one of this country’s leading regional theatres with a wide and varied programme that includes the National Theatre, the RSC, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

At the heart of our building, there is also The Marlowe Studio, a space dedicated to new writing and creative activity that reflects the spirit of Christopher Marlowe, Canterbury’s most famous son.

Our theatre offers a major programme of creative activity for the community, that has seen nearly 3,000 people involved in workshops since we opened. These activities are for a range of ages and include regular sessions run by professional practitioners on theatre practice, playwriting and dance. Our annual community production sees over 240 members of the community work on a specially written play, performed in spaces across the theatre.

Dedicated to the promotion of new writing, The Marlowe Theatre’s Literary Programme also supports new writers at all levels of their career, from playwriting workshops to script development through the Roar! programme.

In 2014, The Marlowe Theatre began producing new plays, with the aim of becoming a producer of new writing within the region. The first play, Beached by Melissa Bubnic, premiered in The Marlowe Studio and then transferred to London’s Soho Theatre. Our second production, A Better Woman by Simon Mendes Da Costa, premiered in The Marlowe Studio in December 2015.

Since it reopened, The Marlowe Theatre has won a number of national theatre industry awards, including UK Theatre's award for Achievement In Marketing (2012) and Most Welcoming Theatre In The South East (2015).