Our History

The Wonderful Majestic

The Majestic Theatre is an events space in the heart of Darlington which aims to replace the Darlington Arts Centre which was closed in 2012. The present owners of the Majestic Theatre are looking to create a multi-use arts space that caters for as many people as possible.

The Majestic Cinema opened on 26th December 1932 with Nancy Brown in “Maid of the Mountains”. It was built for an independent operator.

Seating in the auditorium was 1580, with 1039 in the stalls and 541 in the balcony. The proscenium was 45 feet wide, the stage 17 feet deep and there were five dressing rooms. The cinema was equipped with a Compton 3Manual/8Rank organ which was opened by Frank Matthews. An additional facility was the provision of a cafe.

In November 1935, it was taken over by National Provincial Cinemas Ltd. who were part of Union Cinemas chain. In 1937, Union Cinemas pulled out of the running of the Majestic Cinema and it returned to its original operators.

It was taken over by the Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd. on 16th July 1943 and re-named Odeon on 9th April 1945. The cafe was still advertised as open during the 1950’s. In 1968, the Compton organ was sold and removed from the building. It was around this time that the facade was covered over with metal strips, in order to ‘modernise’ the building.

There was talk of the Odeon being converted into a twin-screen cinema, but these came to nothing. It was losing money, and the Rank Organisation closed the Odeon on 24th October 1981 with Burt Reynolds in “Cannonball Run” being the final film screened.
The building lay empty and unused for several years, and in October 1986 it was converted into use as a snooker club, which operated in 2008 as Riley’s Snooker Club.

In 2014, renovation work was begun to convert the building into a banquet suite and live performance venue. The pool hall continued to operate in the former foyer of the building for a while. In 2014, the metal cladding on the façade was removed and the original tiled façade was restored, including the re-instatement of the Majestic name sign. Plans for the lower part of the building included a children’s play area, which opened September 2014. A June 2015 opening was then planned for the 280-seat live theatre space in the rear of the former circle.

April 2018 The Majestic upstairs was taken over by three business owners, one being Hayley Warters who is still running the venue to this day. Three business owners were good friends who met at The Majestic, sharing the passion for the arts. The three worked together to create, produce and run the venue.

September 2024 the building was put up for sale again. The three business owners felt that they were going their separate ways due to their own individual interests still involving in the arts. The building was bought November 2024 and this was the opportunity for two of the business owners to leave The Majestic Theatre to focus on their technical business. Hayley took this as her own opportunity to start a fresh, launch her own business and continue with the running of the building. Hayley felt the running and performing at the venue is something she is good at. A year later The Majestic upstairs is the strongest it has ever been.

MEET HAYLEY WARTERS

Hayley Warters is the owner and director of The Majestic Theatre, an independent theatre and events venue in the heart of Darlington. A passionate theatre professional with a lifelong love of performance, Hayley brings together creativity, leadership, and community spirit to ensure the Majestic remains a vibrant and welcoming cultural space.

With a background as a performer, singer, and creative practitioner, Hayley is proudly hands-on. She regularly appears on stage in the theatre’s productions particularly its much-loved pantomimes while also overseeing the day to day running of the venue, programming, and future development. Her experience spans performing, directing, producing, and managing live events, giving her a unique understanding of what artists and audiences need.

As director of WartersCo Ltd, Hayley leads the business operations behind the theatre, steering it through challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and into a new chapter of growth and renewal. Under her leadership, The Majestic Theatre has become known as a supportive, artist-friendly venue that champions local talent, emerging creatives, and community engagement.

Hayley is deeply committed to making theatre accessible, inclusive, and relevant, with a strong focus on community partnerships, education, and improving accessibility within the venue. Her vision is for The Majestic to be more than just a theatre it is a creative home for performers, audiences, and organisations across Darlington and the wider region.

At its heart, everything Hayley does is driven by a belief that theatre should be welcoming, affordable, and empowering a place where stories are shared, talent is nurtured, and the community comes together.

Hayley would like to take this opportunity to thank her wonderful staff, volunteers and friends for supporting her throughout 2025. “If it wasn’t for you lot, I don’t know what I would be doing. I hope all of you know how much I appreciate and how thankful I am. We all share the love of this place and I hope it continues for a long time.”

My mum, Grandma and husband are my biggest supporters who have encouraged me to keep pushing through. Donna Thompson, my mother has been my biggest inspiration, who I look up to and the strongest woman I know. I grew up with my Grandma, Brenda Turley dreaming of a venue such as The Majestic and performing. Cats the musical will always be my number one! (Blame my Grandma) My husband, Matthew Warters. My rock, my love, my supporter. I couldn’t do any of this without you x