Geocache: Margate - Theatre Royal Margate

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Location: Actor’s entrance, Theatre Royal Margate
Title of geocache: ECC Margate Theatre Royal Margate

The Margate GeoTour was created by a group of people living locally, who were interested in uncovering Margate’s unique history. Through discussion and research, sharing memories and local knowledge, they selected six locations in Margate to make up the GeoTour.

In March 2020, the UK went into a national lockdown and the project was put on pause. When the group reunited almost a year later, they revisited their relationship to the local area. Working with sound artist Dan Scott, they created a series of audio responses to each location, using poetry, music, historical research and conversation to bring new meaning to familiar places.

Theatre Royal Margate

Hear Pamela talk about the Theatre's unusual history, a clock that goes backwards and visiting a Zombies concert. 

Transcript

Sharon: Yay! You’ve made it to the end of Turner Contemporary’s geocache tour as part of England’s Creative Coast. You are now outside of the Theatre Royal Margate, which is one of England’s oldest theatres and is said to be haunted.

Pamela: My name is Pamela and I’m standing outside the Theatre Royal in Margate, on a clear Friday evening. It’s my first visit the Theatre but I know that it was built in 1787, is a grade 2 listed building and has evolved over the years; being used as a cinema, bingo hall, for chapel use, furniture storage and now as a theatre.

Don’t take my word for it, but I’ve read that it may be haunted. There are tails of a clock going backwards and ghosts. Possibly one of Sarah Thorn, who opened the School of Acting on the site in 1885 but later disapproved of its use for gambling. I’m here tonight to see the Zombies perform. The theatre is packed. The seats are wonderfully comfortable. The architecture of the building is really beautiful.

Now, it’s later. The Zombies were fantastic! A band from the 60’s, inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2019. One of my favourite songs was ‘She’s not there’. But don’t take my word for it, just give it a spin. It made me think of other music and Margate and The Beach Boys single ‘I Get Around’ came to mind. Both bands seem to epitomise for me, the free thinking and fun-loving sides of Margate. A town which moves with the times but will always be an exciting place to live in or visit.

Music is ‘I Get Around' by The Beach Boys and ‘I Get Around (instrumental) by The Beach Boys.
Sound collected and edited by Dan Scott. 
Geocache container is by Philip Bond of PMB Theatre and Exhibition Services Ltd.