What We Do
Image above: The side of the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre. Credit: Gorleston Pavilion Trust.
Since 1901, the Pavilion Theatre has graced Gorleston seafront, welcoming generations of audiences, performers, volunteers, businesses and community groups through its doors. Now, as the community comes together to celebrate the 125th anniversary of this striking building, plans are being unveiled for its exciting next chapter.
The Grade II-listed Pavilion Theatre, with its red brick and terracotta decoration, was designed by J. W. Cockrill. Originally built by Great Yarmouth Borough Council as a shelter hall with an adjoining bandstand for holiday makers, it went on to serve many different uses, including as a base for the army during the First World War, a cinema, and a radio studio in the 1960s. Saved from closure by local residents in the 1980s, it has operated as a commercial theatre for the last 40 years.
Image: Historic photograph of the Pavilion Theatre and adjacent bandstand from the Keith Slater Collection. Courtesy of Gorleston Pavilion Trust.
The Gorleston Pavilion Trust was established in 2010 as a charitable arts and culture organisation aiming to grow and support the arts in Gorleston and to help young people into arts employment. When the previous owner retired from running the theatre in 2024, Gorleston Pavilion Trust began fundraising to acquire the building and secure its future as a community asset. Having worked closely with the previous owners for many years, this was a desirable outcome for both parties.
In 2024, the Gorleston Pavilion Trust secured a £140,000 loan from the Architectural Heritage Fund’s (AHF) Heritage Impact Fund - a social investment fund that can support the delivery of both heritage and social impact, twin aims exemplified by this project.
The AHF loan enabled the Trust to take on the lease of the Pavilion Theatre, which in turn has helped the organisation to begin planning work to further develop this vital heritage asset into a fully accessible, community-focused arts and culture venue.
As a result, the 300-seat Pavilion Theatre now offers a diverse programme of comedy, drama, pantomime, drag and musical performances, alongside the Pavilion Players Stage School for children and young people aged up to 18, community hub activities, public events and wedding hires.
Image: A music tribute night at the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre. Credit: Gorleston Pavilion Trust.
Specific ambitions for the theatre’s future were revealed last Tuesday, as businesses, organisations and individuals gathered inside the building for an evening of celebration that kicked off a week-long series of events leading up to its official anniversary today.
Image: 125th Anniversary Celebration Evening at the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre.
Amidst live performances and behind-the-scenes tours, Alex Youngs, Chief Executive of the Gorleston Pavilion Trust, spoke to attendees about the three strands of work that will enable the Trust to protect and revitalise the Pavilion Theatre. These three elements are building preservation, comprising of work to make the theatre weathertight and stop further deterioration; faithful restoration, which will strip back unsympathetic additions and reinstate significant heritage features; and a facilities upgrade to ensure that the venue can continue putting on bigger and better performances, sustaining the building’s use and ensuring that it remains in its prominent position on the seafront for another 125 years.
To find out more about the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre and the Gorleston Pavilion Trust’s work, and to see events, photos and stories from across the anniversary year, please visit: https://www.gorlestonpavilion.co.uk/125
The AHF has a range of funds, including grants and social investment, available for not-for-profit organisations across the UK who want to bring historic buildings back into use. For more information, please visit our Funding Page.
The Heritage Impact Fund is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.