Discover our two buildings in the heart of Canterbury.

The Marlowe Theatre

The Marlowe’s history can be traced back more than a century to a small theatre on St Margaret’s Street – but our current home is barely into its teens. Built on the site of the former Odeon cinema and designed by architect Keith Williams, the current Marlowe Theatre opened in 2011 with a gala performance attended by Prince Edward.

Our venue now hosts a year-round programme that takes in everything from Shakespeare and (yes!) Marlowe to the best new stand-ups in the country, and features shows presented in partnership with some of the UK’s leading companies. Perhaps you’re one of the 400,000+ people who catch a show every year in one of our two spaces: the Main House and the Studio.

Main House

Our Main House is an intimate 1,200-seat auditorium capable of hosting everything from West End musicals to ballet and opera classics – not to mention our famous panto, co-produced with Evolution Productions and a highlight of our annual calendar.

We’ve long welcomed many of the best touring shows and companies to the Marlowe, and we’re now making our own shows to present alongside them. Marlowe Theatre Productions is our new producing division, launched in 2025 with the world premiere of Amy Rosenthal’s The Party Girls.

Studio

Our 150-capacity Studio is dedicated to new ideas – theatre, comedy and more. You’ll find everything from intimate family shows to theatrical experiments in this flexible space, which is also home to the Writers’ Room – our programme to encourage and support new and emerging playwrights.

The Poor Priests’ Hospital

We’re restoring and transforming a Grade I listed medieval building into a new heritage destination and creative learning centre for our region – and we need your support to make it happen.

Our £8.5m transformation of Canterbury’s historic Poor Priests’ Hospital will see more than 20,000 young people benefit from new studio spaces and creative facilities each year – while also welcoming more than 60,000 annual visitors to explore this 800-year-old landmark in the heart of our city.