Originally built as the Majestic Cinema, The Stag first opened its doors on 22nd August 1936 with the musical farce ‘When Knights Were Bold’ which the Daily Express described as “a rare triumph of unimaginativeness”. Now nearly 90 years later, the shell of the building looks almost identical but The Stag has flourished and developed. We now operate as a charity and include a theatre, two digital cinema screens, the Stag Plaza an alternative performance and conferencing facility plus the Footlights Bar for meetings, presentations and small musical events. We also have the Limelight Room a dedicated boardroom with audio visual facilities and free WiFi.
The cinema enjoyed a golden era through the 1940s and 1950s boasting one of the largest screens in the region. The cinema seated 1360 in total, with a large stalls area and a dress circle which is now the theatre auditorium.
In the early 1970s, the cinema was converted into a triple-screen complex, and plans were even hatched to include a discotheque. But the 1980s brought gloomy times for cinema. The advent of video and the flagging film industry meant that the cinema was increasingly unloved.
For years, Sevenoaks had lacked a dedicated theatre. The Sevenoaks Theatre Action Group whose acronym gave The Stag its modern name was created to campaign for a theatre in Sevenoaks. Almost 17 years later the Rank Organisation, which owned the cinema, offered the building for use as a theatre in August 1982.
It took 18 months of hard work and fund raising for the former cinema was transformed. The two lower-level cinemas were retained as boutique cinema screens and the larger auditorium converted to house the new stage, constructed without charge by contractor Deacons. The grand opening took place on the night of December 18, 1983.
Unfortunately the complex did not survive financially and in 1992 the District Council acquired the building, writing off the debts. It carried out a £3.2m refurbishment and extension, creating the Stag Plaza, a self-contained venue used for drama, music, conferences unveiled in December 1993. But the business continued to have a hand-to-mouth existence and after a sequence of poor management and commercial failure the complex closed again in 2008.
Sevenoaks Town Council took the bold step for a town of only 19,000 people to re-invent the venue as a Community Arts Centre and took over the venue on 2nd January 2009 with a 25-year lease.
Since then, The Stag Sevenoaks has enjoyed success upon success. The Stag’s inaugural 3D screening took place on 19th July 2010 and it began showing live National Theatre productions via its digital cinemas in 2013. The Stag became a charity on 11th August 2010, operating on its current not-for-profit basis, re-investing income directly into facilities in the Arts Centre. Events are run mainly by volunteers.
The 1980s theatre seats were replaced in 2013 alongside heavy investment behind the scenes of the theatre and stage to improve facilities for hirers. The 1990s cinema seats were replaced in 2016 with an overall investment of £110,000 which improved cinema picture quality, sound quality and operational flexibility for people to enjoy attending their local family friendly cinema in Sevenoaks. The 1980s air handling system has been replaced and improved and in 2023 55kW of solar panels and 98kWh of storage batteries were installed in a joint project between The Stag, Sevenoaks Town Council and Sevenoaks District Council costing more than £140,000.
Since 2009 a total investment of nearly £1,400,000 has been put into The Stag by the charity’s fund raising and by Sevenoaks Town Council following our original principal that we invest all of our returns back into The Stag for the people of Sevenoaks.
Hosting an array of events and performances which appeal to audiences of all ages, its management, its staff, its volunteers, the town and district councils and the Sevenoaks community are all determined that The Stag remains at the heart of Sevenoaks:
Majestic in times past, and majestic today.
Stag Community Arts Centre is a company limited by guarantee and registered charity. Registered Charity No: 1137420, Company No: 07090305
Registered Office: The Stag Theatre, London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1ZZ. Our patrons: Cheryl Baker , Graham Cole OBE & Gloria Hunniford OBE
Stag Sevenoaks © 2019 | Website & Ticketing by JACRO
