About Us

The Hazlitt Theatre presents a wide-ranging blend of entertainment. With two performance spaces, The Hazlitt Theatre and Exchange Studio aim to offer something for everyone. 

MUSIC:The Three Degrees to Abbamania to The Adele Songbook

COMEDY: Fresh comedy of Ed Gamble, controversial Jim Davidson and home to The Comedy Store, Maidstone  

ADULT: The Adult Panto to Dreamboys, La Voix and Tassels: An Evening of Burlesque.

DRAMA: Gutted to Murder She Didn’t Write, Gettthing The Third Degree and Choice Grenfell

AN EVENING WITH: John Challis - Only Fools and Boycie, Michael Portillo  and Sir Geoff Hurst

FAMILY:  In-house annual pantomime, for 2019: Beauty and The Beast starring Jake Quickenden. Other family shows include: Stick Man, Sooty, Hey Diddle Diddle, and Mr Men & Little Miss. 

DANCE: Princess and the Frog and The Nutcracker 

HAZLITT YOUTH THEATRE: Est’ in 1997 offering weekly workshops for ages 6-18. Singing lessons, dance classes, holiday workshops, summer shows, a yearly musical (Oct’ 2019: Fame), and magical Christmas shows (Dec’ 2019: Get Santa) 

FILM: Maidstone Film Society 

SING: Join our HAZLITT CHOIR

AMATURE HIRES: The Wilington Players, STS, Valley Park, Maplesden Noakes, Prima, Hilton Hall, MAOS, Gang Show and more!  

CLASSES: Dancing For Fun, Yoga, Hopshed, Choir, Baby Ballet, Adult Dance, Youth Theatre - age 6-18: dance, drama and song

The Hazlitt Theatre is a traditional proscenium arch and intimate auditorium. Named after William Hazlitt, the famous essayist, who was born in Maidstone in 1778. It opened in 1955.

Hazlitt theatre is a traditional proscenium-arch theatre with a stage of 6.4m (W) x 8m (D) x 4.5 (H). The theatre is serviced by its own dressing rooms (6x), licensed bar and refreshment facilities with seating for up to 353 people, an orchestra pit, fly tower, film screen and full lighting & sound facilities, and a large scene dock for storage of scenery.

There is a second professional performance space, the Exchange Studio, complete with brand new tiered seating for 135, 360’ blackout curtains, lighting and sound desk &  equipment. The oldest part of the building and formerly known as the Corn Exchange.

The Exchange Studio is part of the Hazlitt Theatre venue and is in the center of Maidstone. 

The Exchange is 14.5 x 12.5m, has beautiful decor, high ceilings, natural daylight and a wooden fully sprung dance floor. It has its own dedicated bar, connecting doors to our second studio The Fourth Wall (12.5 x 10m), is wheelchair accessible and has full theatre sound and lighting. The Exchange is a very flexible venue and can be laid out in a variety of styles to suit your needs, making it perfect for intimate performances, conferences, exhibitions, family celebrations, networking functions, as a training venue or for rehearsal space.

January 2019 will also see the Hazlitt Exchange Studio Theatre complete it's near £70’000 makeover. New black drapes have been hung, a new technical box has been created, new on stage flats for the stage have been built and a state of the art seating unit has been implemented in order for the Studio to remain a multi purpose space, but offer high quality and comfortable seating for the performances that take place there.

The Hazlitt Theatre is managed by Parkwood Theatres working in partnership with Maidstone Borough Council