Huge regeneration planned for Southsea's Kings Theatre
Details have been submitted to Portsmouth City Council
Ambitious plans to regenerate the King’s Theatre in Southsea have been submitted, featuring a new café and bar, along with a new rehearsal studio.
The King’s Theatre Trust has submitted proposals to Portsmouth City Council to restore the venue’s Albert Road-facing façade, bringing a long-derelict Victorian terrace back into use.
The project, known as Elevation 1907, has been designed by Pritchard Architecture and aims to revitalise 24–28 Albert Road into a fully accessible entrance foyer, bar and rehearsal space, “seamlessly connected to the Grade II* listed theatre”.
The proposals aim to resolve existing operational challenges at the theatre, including poor accessibility for people with disabilities, a lack of a public-facing social space, limited educational and learning areas, and insufficient toilet facilities.
The new facilities include a fully accessible entrance and foyer from Albert Road – for the first time in the theatre’s history. A customer lift would provide access to all levels from the ground floor.
The “flexible” rehearsal and studio spaces will support in-house productions as well as broader community use. The new bar and café would be open to the public during the day and serve theatre audiences before and after performances.
Improved toilet provision would include fully enclosed WCs and additional facilities to meet peak demand. The restoration of the historic terrace façade will also retain the “elegant” shopfronts and reinstate “lost architectural details”.
The plans follow extensive consultation with the public and Historic England, who are “wholly supportive” of the proposals, which meet the “evolving needs of the theatre while preserving its significance”.
In its pre-application feedback, the council described the scheme as a “positive” one that would retain, alter and adapt a “very important heritage asset in the city”.
Ryan Stock of Pritchard Architecture said the project would transform a long-derelict terrace into a “vibrant civic asset”, describing Elevation 1907 as “more than bricks and mortar” – a way to create “a welcoming front door for the community” with spaces that are “accessible, engaging, and full of life”.
Pending approval, works are set to begin later this year and last around 15 months, with minimal impact on the auditorium and performances.
The £5m project will be funded through ticket levies, council support, and future fundraising, including grants and contributions from businesses and individuals.