Vision outlined for Norfolk theatre where 'Shakespeare performed'

A Shakespeare theatre tour and multiple public performances feature in a vision for the reimagining of a historic Norfolk venue outlined by its local council. 

St George’s Guildhall, which is part of the King’s Lynn Arts Centre, claims to be the only surviving venue in which Shakespeare is thought to have performed and is the UK’s oldest and largest remaining medieval Guildhall. 

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk council is currently leasing the building from the National Trust. 

Local campaigners set up a group called Shakespeare’s Guildhall Trust in 2018 to save the building after concerns were raised over signs of deterioration.  

In 2019, the trust released initial redevelopment plans for the theatre and arts centre, which included refurbishment of the main auditorium, making backstage and public areas more accessible and additional performance spaces. 

Now the council has released its own vision for the future of the arts complex. 

This will include a refurbishment of the theatre, the creation of a Shakespeare Experience – a ticketed tour telling the story of English theatre – and 350 public performances and events a year across the main 300-seat Guildhall Theatre, a smaller 90-seat performance space and other studio spaces. 

The plans also include a creative hub with 1,000 square metres of office and studio space as well as training courses, a Shakespeare-themed café and bar, and a restaurant. 

A series of recommendations to move forward with the reimagining of St George’s Guildhall, including for the council to endorse the vision, were approved in meetings between King’s Lynn and West Norfolk’s regeneration and development panel and corporate performance panel on March 30 and April 6. 

The proposals will now be considered before the cabinet on April 11 and full council on April 25.

If agreed, the council will then move ahead with applying for funding from the government’s Towns Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to progress with the project. 

A council report states that the arts complex is currently operated by multiple organisations and is "subdivided to the point it is economically unviable", operating on a net deficit of £150,000 a year. 

The report adds: "The redevelopment of the Guildhall will create a new heritage and cultural attraction, which will help strengthen and diversify King’s Lynn’s visitor economy, encourage footfall and connections to the waterfront which in turn will increase dwell time and visitor expenditure in addition to creating jobs for local people."

Shakespeare’s Guildhall Trust said: "SGT regrets that it has not been intimately involved in the recent development of the proposals. 

"It is, however, clear that they reflect much of the SGT thinking that had been shared with the council and which was summarised in its own vision for St George’s Guildhall that we published in February 2019."

The organisation added: "SGT looks forward to ‘fleshing out’ areas of the council’s plan that are currently in outline only and hopes for genuine opportunities to make further constructive input.

"SGT would like reassurances that the council’s plan will be subject to realistic and robust evaluation to ensure that the operational needs of the post development Guildhall complex are on a sound footing. SGT would be happy to contribute to any such appraisals."