The Waterside Theatre is at Holbury on the edge of the New Forest near Hythe in Hampshire. It was built by Esso in 1950 as an amenity for the local community and is located alongside the Sports & Social Club. It is now managed by the Waterside Sports & Social Club (formerly Esso Recreation Club).
The theatre was originally equipped with a cinema screen and projection room but, as with many provincial cinemas, the arrival of the multiplex cinemas took their toll and the screen was removed in 1997. The subsequent removal of the fixed seating has allowed the auditorium to be used for a variety of functions that were previously not feasible.
The theatre now has seating for 300 people with a licensed bar. The stage has an 8.27m wide proscenium with sixteen full height fly-lines. The control room, which was previously the cinema projection room, is now equipped with a sound mixer desk and a 36-channel memory lighting console. It is the home of the Esso Music and Drama Group, who stage two plays and either a musical or pantomime each year, in addition to providing technical support to anyone using the facilities.
Waterside Operatic Society have traditionally staged one major production each year at the Waterside Theatre, in October/November. In addition, there is often a concert in the Spring which is performed at a variety of venues to raise money for charity.
The theatre is also used for concerts, parties, line-dancing, bowling and boxing. To hire the Theatre or just the Auditorium, contact Waterside Sports & Social Club on :
023 8089 3750
How to get there : Small Scale Map - Large Scale Map