Joseph Rowntree Theatre

Joseph Rowntree Theatre was designed by the architect Barry Parker (who, with Raymond Unwin, designed New Earswick) and built in 1935. It was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust for the workers of the Cocoa Works factory and stands opposite the original factory building. Peter Rowntree (son of Seebohm Rowntree) worked with the architects to ensure that the theatre was as well equipped as any at that time. The new Art Deco building provided a home for The Rowntree Players amateur theatre group which had been formed in 1912 and continued the tradition of established theatre as a recreational activity within the Rowntree community, including at the Folk Hall in New Earswick. Still active today and still the home of The Rowntree Players, the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Limited became a registered charity in 2003.

Image: From originals held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives.