The MajesticTheatre

The Majestic stands on Bondgate in the centre of Darlington, on the upper floors of an Art Deco building that opened in December 1932 as an independent cinema designed by the local architect Joshua Clayton. It later passed to Rank and traded as an Odeon until the last film screened in 1981, after which the auditorium served spells as a snooker hall and a soft play centre. In 2015 the metal cladding came off, the frontage was uncovered and the upper rooms reopened as an independent theatre and events space. The programme mixes touring theatre and comedy with tribute acts, open mic nights, pantomime and occasional workshops, and the rooms are hired out for productions, parties and functions. It runs as a standalone venue rather than part of a chain.