[1] The original pavilion, constructed in 1908, was destroyed in a fire in 1954 and the current theatre was built in its place in 1958.

Following calls for an entertainment venue, a site at the southern end of the Esplanade was chosen and an architectural competition launched in 1907 for the design of the theatre.

[5] In 1914, the council began leasing the theatre to Ernest Wheeler, who continued to run it for twenty five years.

The pavilion saw bomb damage in an air raid during April 1942 and was afterwards taken over by the Admiralty, who retained it as a naval post sorting office until 1947.

Later in January 1954, some restoration work began on the building, including the renewal of the roof and the redecorating of its wooden exterior.

[11] In 2012, Jeffrey Heintz of London-based designers White Knight, put forward a new £160-million redevelopment plan, stating that his team could transform the pavilion into a "flourishing one" under a trust and save taxpayers thousands of pounds.

After the official decision was made on 21 February 2013, the council called for bids to manage the venue for community use.

The following month saw the announcement that local businessman Phil Say had been successful in bidding to run the theatre as a nonprofit business operated by a newly formed Community Interest Company.

[17] In January 2015, it was revealed that the pavilion's figures had more than doubled under its new management, having in excess of 300,000 visitors and selling over 60,000 tickets in 2014.