Talisman Theatre &Arts Centre

Talisman Theatre & Arts Centre grew out of a drama group formed in 1938 by women working at the Rover factory in Coventry, who staged their first full production in 1940 before the Blitz forced a move to Kenilworth. The company took over an old tannery barn and opened its first Talisman Theatre there in 1942, later relocating to its present building on Barrow Road in 1969, where it remains today. The venue holds a 156-seat auditorium with two wheelchair spaces, a foyer and meeting space, and a rehearsal room, and is run as a registered charity by a non-professional company rather than a commercial operator. It stages a full season of plays each year and has previously been used for BBC location filming, including scenes for Keeping Up Appearances in 1997.