In 1944, the Corporation of Cheltenham (now
Cheltenham Borough Council) realised the town's lack of theatrical facilities and, spearheaded by town clerk Frank Littlewood, decided to open a civic
playhouse to act as a home for local amateur
companies. They decided to convert the swimming pool part of the Montpellier Baths complex and, despite war time restrictions on material and manpower, it opened on 9 April 1945, making it one of a tiny handful of new theatres to commence operating during
World War II. Goodwill messages and telegrams came from
George Bernard Shaw and
Ralph Richardson (who had been born in the town). The Corporation funded the services of the front of house staff, the cashier and
box office facilities and all the publicity. A consultant producer and resident
stage manager were also provided at the council's expense to assist the amateur groups, although the production requirements and expenses remained the responsibility of the societies. The first play performed was Shaw's
Arms and the Man. On 5 April 1950, the
auditorium was severely damaged by fire. The repair work was evidently undertaken with speed and the theatre was only closed for five months. However, the fire destroyed part of one of the theatre’s balconies (which were formerly viewing balconies for the swimming pool) and this was not restored until 2007. When the Corporation decided it no longer wished to fund the theatre, volunteers formed the Theatre & Arts Club in 1956 and they officially took over the running of the venue in 1958 and over time acquired more part of the building which, at that time, were still being used as baths or for medical treatments. During the
2007 United Kingdom floods the theatre was flooded twice within the space of five weeks. Only two performances had to be cancelled. Trefoil Trust, a
bequest from a founder member, several of the resident non-professional companies, and the charity's own fundraising efforts. In 2019, planning permission was obtained for a major redevelopment of much of the complex (excluding the auditorium). Funding was sought in the region of £3.5 million to achieve the charity's ambition to become a fully-staffed professional arts centre while still remaining home to local performers. The theatre failed to receive £50,000 from the
Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Local residents launched a crowdfunder and this, together with individual donations, raised over £30,000. Pianist Peter Gill raised an additional £5,000 by playing non-stop for 24 hours. The theatre subsequently received £50,000 in the second round of the CRF. ==Theatre companies==