Lamproom Theatre

The building on Westgate opened as a Methodist chapel in 1794 and served its congregation until 1948, when it passed to the National Association of Boys' Clubs and later fell derelict. In 1998, John Kelly and his wife remortgaged their house to buy the building on behalf of what became the Barnsley Theatre Trust, and more than a hundred volunteers, patrons and subscribers restored it as the Lamproom Theatre, opening in April 1999 with a performance by local opera singers John and Paul Hudson. The Grade II listed building remains Barnsley's only theatre and a single independent venue, staging drama, music, comedy and community productions throughout the year. It continues to be run by the charitable trust that saved it from demolition, rather than any national theatre chain.