About The Tower Theatre
Some buildings have a story. The Tower Theatre has several.
Originally built in 1941 as the Garrison Church of St Mark, this remarkable building has watched over the hills of Shorncliffe — and the people of Folkestone — for more than eighty years. Its square brick tower and gothic windows survived a wartime bombing raid, outlasted an army, and were lovingly transformed into one of the most characterful theatre venues in the south of England.
Today, The Tower Theatre is owned and operated by the Folkestone-Hythe Operatic and Dramatic Society (FHODS) — one of the oldest amateur dramatic organisations in the UK — as a not-for-profit charity. It is something genuinely rare: a community-owned Grade II listed arts venue with history in its walls, ambition on its stage, and a welcome for everyone.
The exterior of The Tower Theatre, Folkestone — a Grade II listed former garrison church on North Road
What’s On
From West End musicals and classic plays to live music, comedy, and touring productions, the programme at The Tower Theatre is as varied as the audiences who fill it. FHODS’s own productions — ambitious, polished, and performed with enormous heart — sit alongside professional touring shows throughout the year.
Whatever brings you to Folkestone, there is almost certainly something worth coming for.
The Building
The Tower Theatre occupies a converted former garrison church — a building that carries its history visibly. The square brick tower that gives the venue its name is a landmark on the Folkestone skyline, and the gothic arched windows that line the auditorium are a constant reminder that this is no ordinary theatre.
The building contains three distinct spaces:
The Main Auditorium at The Tower Theatre, Folkestone, showing the gothic arched window of the original 1941 garrison church
The Main Auditorium seats 293 and is the heart of the venue. Whether it is a full-scale musical or an intimate drama, the gothic arches of the original church give every production a sense of occasion that is hard to find elsewhere in Kent.
The Blue Room is an intimate 120-seat studio theatre — ideal for smaller-scale productions, experimental work, workshops, and rehearsals. It is the kind of space where theatre becomes genuinely personal.
The Peter Heselden Bar is where the evening begins and ends: a warm, welcoming space for pre-show drinks, interval refreshments, and the kind of post-show conversations that tend to go on rather longer than intended.
Youth Theatre
The Tower Theatre has always believed that theatre belongs to everyone — and that starts with young people. The FHODS Youth Section offers young people in Folkestone and across Kent a place to perform, create, build confidence, and discover what they are capable of. For many, it is where a lifelong relationship with the arts begins.
Get Involved
The Tower Theatre runs on the skill, energy, and commitment of its volunteers. Behind every production is a team of people building sets, sewing costumes, operating lights and sound, staffing the front of house, and doing the hundred other things that make a show happen.
Whatever your background or interests, there is almost certainly a place for you here — and no experience is necessary.
Hire The Venue
The Tower Theatre is available to hire for performances, private events, corporate meetings, film screenings, and more. With two flexible performance spaces, a licensed bar, and a setting that genuinely turns heads, it is a versatile and memorable choice for any event in the Folkestone area.
The Main Auditorium, Blue Room, and bar area can each be booked independently or in combination.
Support The Tower Theatre
As a not-for-profit charity, The Tower Theatre depends on the support of its community. Every ticket sold, every membership taken out, every donation made goes directly back into the building, the programme, and the people who make it all happen. If you love what we do — or you’d simply like to help make sure it carries on — there are lots of ways to show your support.
Plan Your Visit
The Tower Theatre is located on North Road, Folkestone, CT20 3HL. The Box Office is open in person Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10am to 2pm, and also for one hour before each performance. Tickets can also be booked online at any time.