Having recently celebrated our 85th Anniversary, let’s take a look back through the years at how our venue has played its role in the history of Horsham’s entertainment.
The Capitol Horsham began life as The Ritz cinema in 1936. The building, designed in the Art Deco style with local materials, featured a 1,086-seat auditorium and a Compton Theatre organ. In 1937, Union Cinemas ran into financial crisis and it fell under the control of Associated British Cinemas (ABC) but the cinema retained its name as The Ritz. However, in 1967 The Ritz was re-named The ABC to give a clearer brand image.
In the 1970s the cinema was added to ABC’s list for disposal due to a decline in attendance. Horsham District Council acquired the site in January 1982 and continued to run it as a cinema until November 1983.
In 1983, the former Capitol Theatre (originally in London Rd, then Medwin Walk) was due for demolition to make way for Marks & Spencer’s so Horsham District Council decided to repurpose The Ritz into the Horsham Arts Centre. An elaborate conversion took place to provide both a 450-seat theatre auditorium and a 126-seat cinema screen. The venue reopened on 21st December 1984 and the new theatre space still retained much of The Ritz cinema’s original art deco auditorium features.
A major refurbishment in 2002-2003 transformed the building into The Capitol, reopening in 2003 as a state-of-the-art multi-functional venue. It now houses two cinema screens, a theatre, studio, gallery, meeting rooms, and a café. The renovations were focused on preserving the site’s historical elements while adapting it for modern entertainment needs. We were honoured to have HRH Queen Elizabeth II visit for the official opening.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 posed significant challenges, forcing The Capitol to close temporarily. However, it fully reopened in 2021 with enhanced safety measures, once again providing entertainment to the community. Today, The Capitol continues to be a vital part of Horsham’s cultural life, offering a diverse program of events and activities.
Thanks to The West Sussex County Times, Maureen Powell-Davies ,Toby Phillips Photography and David Fuller for use of their wonderful photographs.
