The Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York is hosting a special talk on 12 June 2026 to celebrate over 90 years of its history. Titled From Cocoa Works to Curtain Calls: The Story of the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, the event will give residents a chance to learn about the venue’s evolution from a factory amenity to a community performance space.
The theatre first opened its doors on 18 November 1935 as The Joseph Rowntree Hall. It was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust for £12,000 to provide entertainment and education for chocolate factory workers and the wider community. The building was designed by architect Barry Parker as a Grade II listed Art Deco space, and at the time of its opening, it featured what were reported to be the first automatic lighting systems in any theatre in the world. In 1946, the venue was renamed the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.
Following the takeover of the Rowntree company by Nestlé in 1988, the firm continued to manage the theatre until 2001. Since then, the venue has operated as a registered charity. It is now run entirely by a team of nearly 200 volunteers who work to keep the historic site active. The theatre remains the first purpose-built, standalone performance space commissioned by a Quaker family that is still being used for its original purpose today.
The upcoming presentation will feature a panel discussion with Dan Shrimpton, the theatre’s Chair of Trustees; Nick Smith, Executive Director of the Rowntree Society; Professor Anne Marie Greene from the University of York; and honorary archivist Graham Mitchell. The event also highlights the legacy of the Rowntree Players, which began in 1912 as the Cocoa Works Dramatic Society. The group remains one of the oldest amateur theatre companies in the country and continues to perform on the theatre’s stage.
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