The Brookside Theatre is a 194-seat studio theatre situated in the centre of Romford in the London Borough of Havering, Greater London. The theatre was established in 2012 and plays host to many full scale theatre productions; musicals and plays, tribute bands, live music, comedy and celebrity guests and was recently heralded as "Romford's best kept secret".
History
The Theatre staged its first production in 2012; Shout! The Mod Musical, to raise money for the much needed renovation of the neglected war memorial buildings. As well as producing in-house shows which have included Avenue Q, The Woman in Black, , The Addams Family, Little Shop of Horrors, Peter Pan The Musical, and Hi-De-Hi, the theatre now plays host to touring plays, top tribute acts, concerts, comedy evenings and celebrity guests appearances. The theatre has also produced a number of UK / world premieres including Forever Dusty, Life Could Be a Dream, When Rock n RollDreams Come True and Goodnight Sweetheart The Musical. The theatre and the war memorial renovation is a completely self-funded project that relies on the generosity and kindness of local companies and organisations and the support of the local community as well as the dedication of its volunteers.
Celebrity appearances
The following celebrities and bands have performed at the theatre:
These historic buildings were officially opened on 11 October 1953, by Lt.-Col Sir Francis Whitmore the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, to commemorate residents, civilians and service personnel of the Borough of Romford, who lost their lives during World War II. This once popular community hall and memorial, fell into severe neglect with one of the buildings boarded up well over two decades ago – this building houses commemorative oak panels engraved with the names of the fallen; a donation from the USAF in recognition of the hospitality they received whilst stationed here during the war. Following the construction of a ring road around this historic market town, in the early 1970s, large office blocks were erected, engulfing the memorial which was soon, sadly forgotten.
