Blackfriars Theatre and Arts Centre
East Coast
Boston

Keeping Theatre Live in the Heart of Boston

Blackfriars Theatre in Boston is a jewel of a little theatre in the centre of the market town of Boston. It is a 224-seat theatre built inside the remains of the refectory of a Dominican monastery, with parts of the structure dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. It is, of course, a listed building.
The modern history of the building began in the 1950s when the monastery was derelict and roofless. The ruins were acquired by the Boston Preservation Trust, and interested townspeople began to clear the site. A local architect drew up plans to convert it into an Arts Centre and Theatre, and work began on construction in the late 1950s. Many members of the local amateur dramatic and operatic societies rolled their sleeves up to mix concrete and lay bricks, and funds were raised, until in 1964 the theatre was completed and ready to be opened. A new charitable trust was set up, the Blackfriars Arts Centre Ltd., to run and maintain the building, and to promote the arts within Boston. The building was sold to the new charity for One Pound, certain conditions having been laid down, and Blackfriars became the focal centre of the town’s artistic activities.
Over the years its fortunes waxed and waned, but small subsidies from Boston Borough Council and, later, the Arts Council, enabled it to survive.
Box Office is open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday. On the evening of a show Box Office opens from 6pm.

Accessibility Information

Our little theatre is fully accessible for wheelchairs and disabled people with lifts and ramps.

Book direct

Clicking "Book direct” will take you directly to the website of your chosen place