West Cliff Theatre
West Cliff Theatre
4.5
Art GalleriesHistoric SitesTheatres
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
About
Established on the current Clacton site in 1899, and run independently by the West Cliff Trust, the West Cliff is the only surviving purpose-built theatre in Clacton, and plays host to professional touring shows and many local amateur dramatic and operatic groups, dance schools, and other youth groups. Its compact auditorium with just under 600 seats, a unique atmosphere and knowledgeable and friendly staff make it Clacton's theatre of choice for artistes and audiences alike. The Stage Door Bar is open prior to, during the interval and after each shows. The lounge may be hired for private functions with or without bar and catering services.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travellersā€™ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellersā€™ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Address
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • teamcollard
    150 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Last minute booking; lovely little theatre.
    A gem of a theatre. I squeeze my large 6 foot frame in the seat and was pleased to have just enough leg room. On row R we could see clearly. The staff were delightful and welcoming. With soft drinks at Ā£1.50 and ice creams at Ā£2 I felt this was reasonable and was happy to pay to support this lovely Theatre.
    Thank you for your review. It Is always great to hear that our customers have a good experience at The West Cliff. We look forward to seeing you again in the near future.
    Written 26 April 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 April 2023
  • EssexSparkles
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous Traditional Theatre
    Visited this lovely little theatre last night to see Menopause the Musical 2. The whole evening was delightful and hilarious. Beautiful traditional theatre, comfy seats, good view, helpful staff, lovely little bar. fabulous show and surely the best ladies toilets in a theatre ever!
    Thank you for sharing your experience at The West Cliff. This is a show that is very popular which all the staff also enjoy working on. I will pass on your lovely comments to the bar and our mangers including the designer of the Ladies toilets......Thank you.
    Written 26 April 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 17 April 2023
  • PJSKentnomore
    Clacton-on-Sea, United Kingdom189 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Summer show
    We took our granddaughters aged 8 and 10 to see the summer show as we feel youngsters should experience good old variety rather than just what is on Netflix and they loved it. The younger one was occasionally bored with the singing and dancing until she realised that some of her friends were part of the company. However she loved the magician and Ben the host. We bring them to the summer show and the winter show every year both for the entertainment and to support local enterprises.
    Thank you so much for your support and feedback. The variety show hopefully has something for everyone but each year we look into new acts and compares. It is lovely to hear that you enjoy the show and look forward to seeing you in the winter for our Christmas show. Many Thanks Dee
    Written 6 September 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 August 2023
  • janeydeal112018
    Romford, United Kingdom1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hidden gem
    We visited for the 1st time last night to watch the George Michael show. From the moment we arrived, the team were so lovely & helpful. The show was great & atmosphere fantastic. Whilst waiting for our taxi ( that never arrived) we got talking to Melvin ? who told us all about the history of the building & how volunteers pretty much keep it going. It was fascinating & we will be joining up. All in all a hidden gem that should be supported & helped to thrive. oh & we even got a lift back to our hotel from him & his lovely partner....Thank you so much...superstars..
    Thank you so much for your lovely review. The Theatre always loves meeting new visitors and it is great to hear you had a lovely first experience at our Venue. Our staff all work very hard to make everyone of our visitors feel welcome. We hope to see you again very soon Dee
    Written 31 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 October 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisorā€™s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles429 reviews
Excellent
322
Very good
83
Average
18
Poor
4
Terrible
2

Resort34012235147
Chelmsford, UK1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 ā€¢ Couples
A warm welcome and kindly plentiful attention before and after from the several enthusiastic staff and volunteers who did everything they could to ensure we felt special and enjoyed our evening

The show Frankenstein performed by the local amateur troupe was competently delivered and all played their part well
THe one set was well used and served the actors well

Premises are magnificent and comfortable

Overall - a very enjoyable experience and we will definitely be back for other productions
Written 17 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RBJBBedBerks
BedBerks113 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 ā€¢ Solo
10 ++++++++ for the show. January was amazing. Best night Iā€™ve had in a long time. Only spoilt by a group in front who talked through the show
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

janeydeal112018
Romford, UK1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 ā€¢ Couples
We visited for the 1st time last night to watch the George Michael show. From the moment we arrived, the team were so lovely & helpful. The show was great & atmosphere fantastic. Whilst waiting for our taxi ( that never arrived) we got talking to Melvin ? who told us all about the history of the building & how volunteers pretty much keep it going. It was fascinating & we will be joining up. All in all a hidden gem that should be supported & helped to thrive. oh & we even got a lift back to our hotel from him & his lovely partner....Thank you so much...superstars..
Written 14 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your lovely review. The Theatre always loves meeting new visitors and it is great to hear you had a lovely first experience at our Venue. Our staff all work very hard to make everyone of our visitors feel welcome. We hope to see you again very soon Dee
Written 31 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

PJSKentnomore
Clacton-on-Sea, UK189 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 ā€¢ Family
We took our granddaughters aged 8 and 10 to see the summer show as we feel youngsters should experience good old variety rather than just what is on Netflix and they loved it. The younger one was occasionally bored with the singing and dancing until she realised that some of her friends were part of the company. However she loved the magician and Ben the host.
We bring them to the summer show and the winter show every year both for the entertainment and to support local enterprises.
Written 11 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your support and feedback. The variety show hopefully has something for everyone but each year we look into new acts and compares. It is lovely to hear that you enjoy the show and look forward to seeing you in the winter for our Christmas show. Many Thanks Dee
Written 6 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

DeeWCT
Wivenhoe, UK7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 ā€¢ Family
Brilliant highly entertaining show. Great variety show full of family entertainment
Kids go free with every adult ticket purchased
Written 14 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your lovely comments We have our Christmas show on Sale now and are organising our Summer Show for next year to go on sale in the next few weeks. Kids will also go free on both these shows. We hope to see you at the West Cliff again very soon Dee
Written 6 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Teresa t
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 ā€¢ Couples
I have used this lovely little theatre now many times over the years , The staff are wonderful, giving their time to keep this theatre going. The price of drinks is very fair too .Last night, I saw Francis Rossi . What a great show. It was such a shame that there were empty seats
This show was worthy of a full house. Let's hope people keep on attending the shows here as it would be such a shame to see it go.
Written 5 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your lovely review. It is lovely to hear that our customers enjoy their visits to the West Cliff. All our FOH & Technical staff are volunteer's so I will pass on your comments to their managers as they are very much appreciated. We look forward to seeing you at the West Cliff again in the near future.
Written 6 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

EssexSparkles
Essex7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 ā€¢ Solo
Visited this lovely little theatre last night to see Menopause the Musical 2. The whole evening was delightful and hilarious. Beautiful traditional theatre, comfy seats, good view, helpful staff, lovely little bar. fabulous show and surely the best ladies toilets in a theatre ever!
Written 17 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your experience at The West Cliff. This is a show that is very popular which all the staff also enjoy working on. I will pass on your lovely comments to the bar and our mangers including the designer of the Ladies toilets......Thank you.
Written 26 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

teamcollard
150 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 ā€¢ Family
A gem of a theatre. I squeeze my large 6 foot frame in the seat and was pleased to have just enough leg room. On row R we could see clearly.
The staff were delightful and welcoming. With soft drinks at Ā£1.50 and ice creams at Ā£2 I felt this was reasonable and was happy to pay to support this lovely Theatre.
Written 5 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. It Is always great to hear that our customers have a good experience at The West Cliff. We look forward to seeing you again in the near future.
Written 26 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MoodyBlue69
Colchester, UK13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 ā€¢ Couples
An atmospheric theatre with very friendly and helpful staff. Always enjoy our visits here. Nice bar with reasonable prices. Comfortable seating
Written 31 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Itā€™s always lovely to hear such great reviews about the West Cliff. We look forward to your return in 2023. Thank you & Happy New Year. Dee
Written 1 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Steven B
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 ā€¢ Family
We enjoyed all the shows, we have seen.

You always get value for the ticket price,

Staff are always friendly and helpful.
Written 31 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Steven We always strive to give out customers the best experience we can . Itā€™s wonderful to hear you enjoy visiting The West Cliff. Thank you for all your support Happy New Dee
Written 1 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ā€¦
Showing results 1-10 of 429
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

WEST CLIFF THEATRE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about West Cliff Theatre

West Cliff Theatre is open:
  • Mon - Sat 10:00 - 12:30
  • Mon - Sat 13:30 - 16:30