One of the most unique places to visit in Norwich is located down the side streets of St John’s Alley, but how much do you know about the rich history of the Maddermarket Theatre and is there really a monk haunting unsuspecting actors and audience members?
Grade 2 listed
It is a stunning grade 2 listed building located close to the city centre, and was founded by Nugent Monck who was the founder of the Norwich Players.
Norwich Players
The Norwich Players were an amateur dramatic society and since 1921 have been performing to audiences in the form of stage plays, musicals and much more.
Chapel
The site itself hasn’t always been a theatre and this is where the history of the Maddermarket Theatre gets interesting. It was a chapel, hostel, and even a warehouse before becoming the theatre it is today.
Market
It was brought by Monck because he was drawn to the acoustics of the building and thought it would be perfect for the Norwich Players to perform to the public in.
Namesake
The site stands on the location of what was a medieval market that sold scarlet dye called ‘madder’ and this is where the theatre got its name from. It has been called Maddermarket since the 13th century.
Will Kemp
One of the most famous pieces of Maddermarket history is that Will Kemp who was a personal friend to William Shakespeare and famously Morris danced from London to Norwich arrived at St John’s Alley and was so happy his journey had ended he jumped over the wall to celebrate. A plaque can be found on the spot he famously finished his journey at.
WW2
Whilst a lot of Norwich was affected by World War 2 the theatre itself remained unscathed, and amazingly most plays still went on to be performed during this time.
The theatre itself has undergone a transformation over the years in 1948 the auditorium was extended to cater to larger audiences, in 1964 they chose to expand again and in 1990 the proscenium arch was also extended giving the audience a better view of the stage.
Haunting
The theatre still attracts large audiences today as well as a spirit monk haunting the walls of the theatre who over the years many audience members have claimed to have seen as well as actors and actresses saying they too have seen the monk. In 2004 an actress even claimed she was pushed by the entity!
From a medieval market, to chapel, and now to one of the much-loved landmarks of Norwich, it isn’t hard to see why the history of the Maddermarket Theatre helps draw in so many people to its doors each year.