Savoy Theatre, Monmouth

The Savoy Theatre in Monmouth is a Grade 2 listed building offering feature films, live entertainment and special cinema events. It stands on the oldest known theatre site in Wales and is one of the oldest working theatres in Wales. It is currently managed by the Monmouth Savoy Trust and is privately owned by the MacTaggart family. The theatre is available for hire, including private parties, and runs a Kids Club partnership with Monmouth Town Council giving primary school children unlimited free films. It also sells Savoy-branded merchandise.

The Savoy stands on the oldest working theatre site in Wales. The Bell Inn stood on the site from before 1649 and would have put on entertainment. In 1830 the Odd Fellows Society used public subscription to erect the "most commodious hall" in the area, which opened later that year and was a home for dances, ceremonies, political rallies and their own meetings; it was locally known as the Bell Inn Assembly Room. The first extensive use as a theatre was in 1850/51 when the room was turned into The New Theatre by touring actor/manager J F Rogers. A new building called The Corn Exchange was built on the site in 1865, and due to tighter entertainment regulations the Inn turned into a Temperance Hotel in 1871. Early in the twentieth century it turned into a roller skating rink (1909) and became known as The Rinkeries. In 1910 it mixed skating sessions with short films as cinema became the new vogue, and very quickly the films took over. By 1914 the Picture Palace as it was then known was pre-eminent and ran a mixture of one reel films and variety acts known as CineVariety. In 1926 the building went up for auction, was bought by a major cinema chain, demolished and completely re-built, stage et al. It re-opened on March 5th 1926. The Savoy Theatre is operated by The Monmouth Savoy Trust (Charity Reg: 1136359), whose aims and objectives are to manage and maintain the theatre as the premiere entertainment venue for Monmouth and surrounding areas. The Savoy is privately owned by the MacTaggart family; grandfather B.T Davies was a collector of cinemas and at one stage owned nineteen around the South West and South Wales, and the Savoy is the only one left in the family's ownership.

A Grade 2 listed theatre and cinema on the oldest known theatre site in Wales, offering a mixture of feature films, live entertainment and special cinema events.

• Savoy Mug

• Savoy Tea Towel

• Savoy Sling Bag

• The Savoy In Miniature

• "The Savoy in the Rain" Card

• "The Savoy" Card

1. 1Savoy Theatre – Monmouth – Drama, Comedy, Music & Moviesmonmouth-savoy.co.uk
2. 2History – Savoy Theatre – Monmouthmonmouth-savoy.co.uk
3. 3Products – Savoy Theatre – Monmouthmonmouth-savoy.co.uk
4. 4About – Savoy Theatre – Monmouthmonmouth-savoy.co.uk