musical.today Eastbourne, United Kingdom
Congress Theatre
1,689 seats
One of the largest theatres in the south of England, and one of the very few post-war ones listed at Grade II*. Duke Ellington played his last recorded concert here on 1 December 1973 and died five months later.
The building
Designed in 1958 and built between 1961 and 1963 by the local firm Llewellyns, it opened with a fanfare from the Royal Military School of Music and a London Philharmonic concert conducted by Arthur Bliss. Princess Margaret unveiled a plaque here in 1965.
A major refurbishment in 2019 brightened the front of house without touching the character of the original design. The 1,689 seats make it the room on the south coast that a full touring musical can use.
Opening dates, capacities and architects on this page come from the theatre's own history pages and from Wikipedia.