The Barn Theatre at Smallhythe Place
Step into the theatrical world at Smallhythe Place and experience live performances in the National Trust's only working theatre.
May performances
- The Most Perilous Comedie of Elizabeth I ( 24 & 25 May)
- Experience the return of outdoor theatre at Smallhythe Place with The Three Inch Fools this May | 7pm - 9pm | £20 (Adults), £12 (Under 18s)Book here
June performances
- Little Women (5 & 6 June)
- After last year’s successful tour of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Smallhythe Place welcomes back Hotbuckle to perform the latest unique adaptation of classic novels | 7:30pm - 10pm | £16 (Adults), £10 (Under 18s)Book here
- The Tempest (22 June)
- East 15 Acting School returns for an energetic, ensemble-led production of William Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' | 7pm - 9:15pm | £10 (Adults) & £6 (Unders 18s)Book here
- Romeo and Juliet (27 June)
- East 15 Acting School returns for a lively performance of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy 'Romeo and Juliet' | 7pm - 9:15pm | £10 (Adults) & £6 (Unders 18s)Book here
July performances
- Twelfth Night (10 July)
- Changeling Theatre presents the classic Shakespearean comedy 'Twelfth Night' this summer | 7pm - 9:15pm | £25 (Adults) & £15 (Under 18s)Book here
- Timberlina's Big Bingo Show (11 July)
- Glamourous bearded drag lady Timberlina and diminutive Dutch theatrical DJ Auntie Maureen present the hilarious Big Bingo Show | 7:30pm - 9pm | £20 (Suitable for 18+)Book here
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ( 18 & 19 July)
- A bold and contemporary take on Tom Stoppard's iconic and award-winning play by Different Theatre, which takes place "in the wings" of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' | 7pm - 9:30pm | £16 (Adults) & 12 (Under 18s)Book here
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (24 - 27 & 31 July)
- The Summer Theatre Company return to Smallhythe Place with their ever-popular production of this Shakespearean comedy | 7:30pm - 10pm | £15 (Adults) & £8 (Under 18s)Book here
August performances
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1 & 3 August)
- The Summer Theatre Company return to Smallhythe Place with their ever-popular production of this Shakespearean comedy | 7:30pm - 10pm | £15 (Adults) & £8 (Under 18s)Book here
- The Secret Garden ( 7 August)
- Following their success in 2024, The Plandits are bringing their re-imagining of the enchanting classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett to the Barn Theatre | 7pm - 9:30pm | £16 (Adults) & £12 (Under 18s)Book here
- Twelfth Night (10 August)
- Changeling Theatre presents the classic Shakespearean comedy 'Twelfth Night' this summer | 6:30pm - 8:45pm | £25 (Adults) & £15 (Under 18s)Book here
October performances
- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (11 October)
- In a new and enthralling one-man stage adaptation of the classic tale of terror, acclaimed actor Jonathan Goodwin plays both Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde | 6:30pm - 7:35pm | £16 (Adults) & £12 (Under 18s)Book here
A brief history of the Barn Theatre
The 17th-century Barn Theatre was the brainchild of Ellen’s daughter, Edy Craig. Throughout her time at Smallhythe, Edy wished to convert the barn into a theatre, but her mother would not allow it. After her mother passed away in 1928, Edy held the venue’s first performance the following year.
The working theatre hosts productions to this day and is a venue for hire for special occasions.
Transforming a barn into a theatre
The timber frame, four-bay structure of the barn suggests it was originally designed to fulfil a multi-functional purpose, incorporating cattle housing as well as crop storage and processing. Later, in the mid-19th century, several changes were made to the building to increase the crop storage area and various lean-tos were added to the outside. Since then, the main structure and features of the barn have changed very little, except for rethatching the roof in 2009.
Our famous patron
At the start of 2020 the National Trust announced Joanna Lumley OBE as the new patron of the Barn Theatre at Smallhythe Place in Kent, the former home of Victorian actress Dame Ellen Terry. Read more about this here.
The history of Smallhythe Place
Discover the history of Smallhythe Place, from a centre for royal ship building to the home of Ellen Terry, one of the most famous Shakespearean actors of the Victorian times.