A Guide to Cardiff’s Theatre Scene.
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| The beautiful Cardiff city skyline. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com |
The city is crawling with nooks and crannies and there are theatres everywhere – you just need to know where to look.
Cardiff Theatre Blogger, Sophie, is here to give you the lowdown on where to find theatres, no matter where you are in the city.
Centre of Town
The Centre of town is definitely the first place to look for the quantity of theatre venues.
Located just opposite Pryzm and near the famous carousel, The New Theatre is a beautiful old theatre that offers a wide range of theatre for its audiences. From Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, to Bill Kenwright’s Ghost, David Walliams and Horrible Histories for the kids and Panto for the whole family, the New Theatre has it all!
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If you’re looking for some fringe theatre, look no further than The Other Room at Porter’s. Porter’s is a bar with Thursday nights dedicated to musical theatre singalongs. The Other Room is a small space within the bar that puts on Welsh-based and homegrown fringe theatre that is hugely entertaining and doesn’t break the bank.
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Frequently home to bands and popstars who tour the UK, The Motorpoint Arena is also a theatre space. Last Christmas, The Motorpoint hosted Elf the Musical and this year will be home to How the Grinch Stole Christmas – The Musical, as well as Disney on Ice!
One of the best events in the theatre that Cardiff has to offer, the Everyman Theatre’s Open Air Festival is held in the middle of Sophia Gardens in town every summer. From 27th June – 3 August 2019, this year’s festival will include productions of Hi-de-Hi, Much Ado About Nothing and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as a number of singalong cinema events. Not to be missed!
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Cardiff Bay
If you’re looking to venture away from the hustle and bustle of town, there is no better place to look than the beauty that is Cardiff Bay. With a wide range of restaurants to choose from and a scenic view of the harbour, Cardiff Bay is a great place to be, and it has great theatre to offer.
As the National Arts Centre for Wales, Wales Millennium Centre is truly a spectacle in Wales. If the exterior of the building is not impressive enough, the shows they have one must be. From Matilda, to Wicked, Les Misérables and Kinky Boots, Wales Millennium Centre is home to some of the biggest hits on tour. The Centre also has a small 250-seat studio to present smaller works and a Cabaret Bar to be host to music, comedy and cabaret nights, supporting homegrown Welsh talent.
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If you live in, or have visited, Nottingham, Oxford or Birmingham, you may have already visited The Glee Club. If not, not to worry – Cardiff has one too! Tucked away among some restaurants and bars in the Bay, The Glee Club is primarily a comedy club, but also offers theatre and music events.
Cathays
Cathays is primarily a student location to live, but don’t let this put you off if you aren’t a student.
The Sherman Theatre won the Olivier in 2018 for regional theatre of the year and it’s not hard to see why. With very accessible prices and a wide range of shows to offer, the Sherman Theatre is a great one for everyone to visit. Their recent production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company was sold-out and their upcoming season with the deal of a pie and a show for £12 is bound to be great.
Canton
Just the other side of the river from the centre of town, Canton is a beautiful part of Cardiff with an iconic theatre and arts centre.
Chapter is a favourite for those in Canton especially; it is a real community building that prodcues some great work. As well as being a theatre, It is also an art gallery, coffee house, pub and so much more. Its recent production of Les Miserables, making commentary on Brexit looked amazing, and with upcoming comedy, family and political shows, Chapter is a great place to visit.
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Roath
On the other side of the city from Canton, Roath is an area which shouldn’t be forgotten.
The Gate is a community arts centre, much like Chapter, and they also have a varied programme of arts, classes, music and theatre performances in The Pulpit café bar.
So there you have a mini-roundup of some of the best theatre spaces in the capital of Wales. Whether you’re after big-hitters, or fringe, works in development or full-scale productions, comedy, poetry, drama, musical, drag or more, Cardiff is the place to try!
Don't forget to check out Sophie's fantastic blog, OneWomanWestEndShow.
Have you ever visited Cardiff's exciting theatre scene?
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