THE story of the Little Theatre in Rhyl began long before it was built in the 1960s.

During the dark days of the Second World War, the Manchester Repertory Theatre Company were evacuated from Manchester to the Pavilion Theatre on Rhyl’s Promenade. Within the Theatre Company, there was a young actor by the name of Joseph Holroyd, who asked the Rep Company Director if he would be able to run Theatre classes for the young people of Rhyl. The war ended and Joe stayed in Rhyl and continued to develop the Children’s Theatre.

In 1961, the use of the former Ysgol Emmanuel was offered to the theatre on a lease, in a plan to convert it to a theatre. However, the building was not favourable in nature for conversion, which led to the building of the first purpose-built theatre for children in the UK.

The Little Theatre opened in May 1963 and has run ever since.