HISTORY

Our Story

The Woodville (once known as The Woodville Halls) was officially opened on Friday, November 15 1968, by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Kent.  The concept behind the design was to provide a focal public space between Wrotham Road and Windmill Street.

Designed by architects H.T Cadbury-Brown and Partners, who were followers of the modernist school of architecture and heavily influenced by the work of Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, the building was state of the art at the time. 

The building’s versatile design and operation far outweighed other nearby venues. It was intended to be multi-purpose and able to accommodate a mix of events such as dinner dances, wrestling, boxing, theatre shows and ballroom dancing.

It is fair to say that over the decades the theatre has seen many a famous face perform and a huge variety of entertainment acts. From the traditions of Pantomime to the beauty of the ballet, The Woodville has staged them all.

50 years on... Still Gravesend's cultural heartbeat

The Woodville continues to encapsulate its original concept of being a multi-purpose venue.  We offer a dynamic programme of theatre, live performances, community projects, gallery exhibitions, cinema and live broadcasts too.  Not to mention the added bonus of bars and bistro.

The main auditorium is capable of seating 650 patrons across three levels. It also has the flexibility of being transformed into a flat floor space for cabaret performances, seating 300 at tables with a further 100 seated in the circle.

Beneath the Main Auditorium is The Studio.  This space is used to showcase our more intimate performances, and plays host to our monthly Comedy Club. The Studio can accommodate up to 180 seated patrons and has a bar at the rear of the seating area.

Our Blake Gallery, which is named after British painter and illustrator Sir Peter Blake, is Gravesend’s professional gallery space.   It houses wonderfully unique and enlightening exhibitions within The Woodville.

The Woodville sits contentedly on The Community Square, which is a large space used for cultural and community events, including outdoor concerts and theatre.