[2] The Grand was designed by Victorian theatre architect Frank Matcham and was opened in 1894 after a construction period of seven months, at a cost of £20,000 between December 1893 and July 1894.

The Grand was Matcham's first theatre to use an innovative 'cantilever' design to support the tiers,[4] thereby reducing the need for the usual pillars and so allowing clear views of the stage from all parts of the auditorium.

The theatre now faced stiff competition from the newly introduced talking pictures and the building was operated as a cinema outside the summer tourist season.

Plans were filed for the demolition of the historic site in 1972 but the Grand had become a Grade II* listed building earlier in the year, thanks to the initiative Jeffrey Finestone, a member of the Victorian Society.

Finally, on 23 March 1981 the Grand re-opened as a theatre once again to stage an Old Vic performance of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice featuring Timothy West and Prunella Scales.

Early Friends included Violet Carson, Alistair Cooke, Ken Dodd, Leslie Crowther, Timothy West, Prunella Scales, Billy Pearce and Johnnie Casson.

They now raise funds from subscriptions and social events to finance projects within the theatre, primarily aimed at enhancing the comfort of the patrons.