The Orchard Theatre is conveniently located in Home Gardens, Dartford. It draws in the newest and highly demanded productions touring the United Kingdom.
Where the Variety of Events is Unlimited
Being a receiving theatre, it attracts the leading companies and offers the best in world-class entertainment to its audiences. It is famous for hosting a wide variety of popular music, dance, comedy, drama, classical music, family shows, bands, West End musicals and other ‘variety’ events. There is also an annual pantomime at the theatre that adds to its range of event types. The theatre has a seating capacity of about 1,017 people.
History of the Orchard Theatre
Dartford is a bustling market town; whose history is as old as the Romans. Within the town centre, where the Orchard stands, it becomes the stage for a colourful twice-a-week market. The Dartford Borough Council built the venue. The Duke of Kent officially opened it on Thursday 14th April 1983. A part of Qdos Entertainment, HQ Theatres & Hospitality has been running the theatre since 2008. The Orchard Theatre has earned itself the reputation of being a premier venue offering an astonishing range of entertainment. It has also enjoyed huge success since its foundation, welcoming some of the leading and most respected people from the arts and entertainment industry.
The Building Design Partnership designed the theatre, and John Wickham Associated constructed it. During the improvement of the Box Office and Bar in 1989, the building’s architecture underwent some changes, including a front of house renovation. While the Stalls is flexible with retractable seating, there are two spacious Balconies with fitted seating. The 50-person orchestra pit and the forestage are also adaptable.
A Massive Overhaul
In the summer of 2019, the Orchard Theatre underwent a major redevelopment to improve the visitor experience. It allowed the theatre to expand its variety of events on offer and equip modern features, as well as enhance energy-efficiency by adding new lighting throughout the building. Several changes were made during the £500,000 project. The auditorium saw a facelift and the installation of fresh new seats in each space. The in-house sound system was reconfigured to not only improve audibility but also add better audio-description and infra-red facilities. The entire foyer spaces and auditorium got new carpets along with other decorative and cosmetic enhancements.
This landmark in Home Gardens is home to various services and facilities for events. Complete with a full bar and catering facility, it is just the ideal environment for even conference, training, meeting, seminar, service, and product awareness sessions.