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Theatre Royal Margate

Reports dating from 1918 attach Sarah Thorne to the theatre, alongside later testimony about voices, lights, screams and a figure in a box.

The theatre has been closed since April 2022 and Thanet Council currently expects reopening in 2027 after major works. There is no general visitor access while it is closed. Do not approach the building site or seek entry; follow council updates for future opening arrangements.

Place: Margate, Kent
Area: East Kent
Type: Historic theatre
Source record: Documented reports
Visitor access: Private site

History

First built in 1787, the Theatre Royal is one of Britain's oldest surviving theatres and was reshaped in the nineteenth century. Actress-manager Sarah Thorne made it an important training centre; the Grade II* building is now in council ownership and awaiting restoration-led reopening.

Reported activity

A Theatre Royal archive reproduces Raymond Lamont Brown's 1978 account, which traces Sarah Thorne sightings to 1918 and records reports of a travelling scream, an orange light and a figure in a box. It also names a 1966 interview with former decorator Alfred Charles Tanner. Some dramatic details conflict with the building's chronology, and the archive itself notes that a suicide story may have transferred from an earlier theatre site.

KASE perspective

KASE has not investigated Theatre Royal Margate. The record retains the unusually traceable publication and interview trail while flagging the chronology problem. The building is closed and should be treated as inaccessible until the council announces otherwise.

Visiting responsibly

The theatre has been closed since April 2022 and Thanet Council currently expects reopening in 2027 after major works. There is no general visitor access while it is closed. Do not approach the building site or seek entry; follow council updates for future opening arrangements. Check the venue or landowner's current information before travelling, respect closures and private property, and never enter unsafe or restricted areas.

Find Theatre Royal Margate

The directory map shows Theatre Royal Margate in Margate, Kent and can be used to explore other source-checked records nearby.

Sources and further reading

• Thanet District Council — Theatre Royal status
• Thanet District Council — approved 2027 reopening plan
• Historic England — Theatre Royal Grade II* listing
• Theatre Royal Margate Archive — Ghosts at the Theatre Royal
• Paranormal Database — Theatre Royal archive entry

Last reviewed: 2026-08-19