The Hall for Cornwall is a theatre venue in Truro, Cornwall, England, UK, which plays host to West Endmusicals, opera, ballet, musical acts and other entertainers. In September 2008 Hall for Cornwall produced a production of The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe: Barabas, which featured a Cornish, national and international cast. With Barabas, Hall for Cornwall returned to the theme of working with a Renaissance text, and followed on from the successful production of Responses in 2007. The Hall for Cornwall is one of a number of organisations involved with Cornwall Council's proposed National Theatre of Cornwall, and it registered the name as a trademark in September 2011. Since June 2018the Hall for Cornwall is currently closed for refurbishment. The project involves creating a larger auditorium with 1,354 seats. There will also be a new digital creative business hub funded by the European Development Fund and Cornwall & Isles of ScillyLocal Enterprise Partnership. Reopening is scheduled for 2020.
History
The hall was built in 1846 from Carn Breagranite and originally housed the town hall, magistrates and stannary courts, police offices, cells and the fire brigade. In 1909 plans were drawn up to change the building into a public hall. This culminated in it being leased for a skating rink and occasional picture house. In 1914 a fire gutted most of the building and in 1925 remodelling took place to accommodate a stage "suitable for the presentation of plays". It was used in the 1970s and early 1980s as a venue for Truro's 'flea market'. By the mid 1980s, Carrick District Council considered selling City Hall for redevelopment. Ben Luxon, Chris Warner and some Carrick councillors met to discuss the hall's future. Carrick offered a 125-year lease on the hall at £1 a year and £500,000. The group accepted the offer and the campaign for a new City Hall began. Five years after taking over, contractors moved in. Work on the high tech venue took just over 18 months and the inaugural performance took place on 15 November 1997. Simon Harvey directed the Christmas show for Hall for Cornwall in 2015 and 2016.
