The Little Theatre

Little by name, little by exterior but certainly not little by nature. This Tardis of a theatre looks like barely anything from the outside, a narrow bit of building with a sign that makes one whimsical, thinking this is what theatres in urban New York must be like. Once you’re inside it might look somewhat dated, it might not have the contemporary architecture or interior design of a lot of bigger, newer theatres these days, but there’s a real gutsy David as opposed to Goliath feel to the place and it reminds me of the university theatre my drama group used to borrow for our productions.
Yes, I was in a drama group when I was younger, big whoop, wanna fight about it?
The Little Theatre just feels homey to me. The décor is rather traditional, the seats are usually red and in the auditorium they’re those flippy ones that smack you in the buns when you stand up, and the staff are older than the usual types you get at theatres nowadays but you get the feeling they’re working there for a reason — because they care. It’s like all those old, beautiful cinemas that have sadly closed down and given way to multiplexes and bingo halls. I hope this never happens to The Little Theatre. People still go there because the stage is more than adequate for any production, be it Shakespeare or family friendly, Miller or Orton, heck, it’s practically made for Beckett given the simplicity. And the bar’s a really nice well polished area where you can chinwag and grab a nice strong G&T before the show.
I think it certainly deserves to be here and alongside Southport’s various arts centres and galleries, The Little Theatre stands proud as a symbol of the seaside town’s excellent little culture hub. I love it.