This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (November 2025) |
The Princess Theatre in Torquay, England is a 1,500 seat theatre that first opened its doors on Wednesday 7 June 1961. Top of the bill on opening night were Tommy Cooper and Morecambe & Wise.
 Princess Theatre, Torquay | |
 Interactive map of Princess Theatre | |
| Address | Torbay Road Torquay, TQ2 5EZ United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°27′41″N 3°31′48″W / 50.4613°N 3.5301°W |
| Owner | Torbay Council |
| Operator | Ambassador Theatre Group |
| Capacity | 1,500 on 2 levels |
| Type | Regional theatre |
| Production | Touring Productions |
| Public transit |  Torquay railway station |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 7 June 1961 |
Years active | 62 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The theatre is a touring house which means it doesn't produce but receives touring productions. It stages a variety of productions including opera, ballet, concerts, West End musicals and a Christmas pantomime.
The theatre was built by Torbay Council as the main feature of the redevelopment of the Princess Gardens area on Torquay seafront. The theatre replaced a marquee which was erected annually to house light entertainment.
Theatres in seaside resorts were traditionally known for their annual Summer Season consisting of light entertainment and family variety shows and Torquay was no exception. In the past the Princess Theatre has staged summer shows from Joe Pasquale, Bradley Walsh, Ken Dodd,[1] Danny La Rue and Jimmy Tarbuck. More recently comedians Michael McIntyre, Jack Dee, Katherine Ryan, Dawn French and Russell Howard have graced the stage.
Artists including Billy Ocean, Paloma Faith, Don McLean, Level 42, Squeeze (band) and Will Young have performed at the venue as part of their UK tours.
The theatre has become a favourite for large UK touring productions[citation needed] and has staged Chicago, The Play That Goes Wrong, We Will Rock You, The Cher Show and Six. The theatre also hosts amateur productions from two local groups: TOADS Stage Musical Company and TOPS Musical Productions.
The venue is owned by Torbay Council and operated by Ambassador Theatre Group.
Pre-theatre dining
editThe theatre previously had its own on-site café, bar and restaurant, located on the marina side of the building. Opened in 1999 as Breezes, later renamed Princess Bistro, and finally Teatro, this restaurant remained in operation until June 2026, when it was shut down as part of ATG's decision to close their Pizza Al Teatro operations across the board. This was a controversial closure, given that this location was in operation for many years prior to the Pizza Al Teatro venture. [citation needed]
Shows
edit| Year | Show | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Beatles | |
| 1968 | Val Doonican | |
| 1970 | Tommy Cooper | |
| 1971 | Harry Worth | with Norman Vaughan, Joe Henderson, The Mixtures |
| 1972 | Dickie Henderson | with Kenneth McKellar |
| 1973 | Mike and Bernie Winters | |
| 1974 | Dick Emery | with Los Zafiros, Alan Randall |
| 1975 | Val Doonican | |
| 1976 | Larry Grayson | with Moira Anderson |
| 1977 | Get Some In! | starring Tony Selby |
| 1978 | Cilla Black | with Don Maclean, Bob Carolgees |
| 1981 | Russ Abbot | with Roger de Courcey, Bobby Crush, Les Dennis |
| 1983 | Little and Large | Michael Barrymore |
References
editExternal links
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