Am DramaFri 11 September to Sat 12 September
Bedroom Farce
Four couples. Three bedrooms. One chaotic night. Alan Ayckbourn's brilliant comedy, where marital mishaps and hilarious misunderstandings collide.
Sudbury, Suffolk, beside the River Stour
Book a night atthe Quay Theatre
Fri 11 September to Sat 12 SeptemberBedroom FarceOn sale now
Mon 14 SeptemberQuay Stage 1, ages 7 to 11, Autumn Term 2026On sale now
Wed 16 SeptemberBurn Baby Burn: LA Inferno and post show talkOn sale nowOn sale now
What is on at the Quay
Am DramaYouth TheatreMon 14 September
Quay Stage 1, ages 7 to 11, Autumn Term 2026
Come and join us for a fabulous term of drama at the Quay. We are thrilled to offer young performers a stage of their own.
DramaWed 16 September
Burn Baby Burn: LA Inferno and post show talk
LA is burning. When two old Angelenos lose everything, they must navigate overwhelming grief, toxic ash and paperwork purgatory.
Youth TheatreThu 17 September
Quay Stage 2, ages 11 to 15, Autumn Term 2026
A full term of drama, movement and performance craft for older members of our youth theatre, led by our own team.
ComedyThu 17 September
Jon Udry Is Having A Ball
There are jugglers. There are comedians. And there is Jon Udry, who combines the two to quite brilliant effect.
DramaFri 18 September
The Go Between
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. Young Leo Colston spends the summer of 1900 carrying messages he does not understand.
Registered charity since 1987Grade II listed buildingSupported by Sudbury Town CouncilSupported by Babergh District CouncilHome of Sudbury Dramatic SocietyAdnams beers on tap4k cinema projectionRun with volunteers since 1977Registered charity since 1987Grade II listed buildingSupported by Sudbury Town CouncilSupported by Babergh District CouncilHome of Sudbury Dramatic SocietyAdnams beers on tap4k cinema projectionRun with volunteers since 1977
Not sure yet
Find the right night for you
Six ways into the Quay, whether you are booking two seats for a comedy night or a training day for a whole team.
A comedy night outStand up and variety in a room where the back row is eleven rows from the stage, with the bar open before and after.See comedy datesA family afternoonFamily friendly performances and screenings, with step free access to the auditorium and free parking on Quay Lane.See family eventsSchools and youth theatreQuay Stage 1 and Quay Stage 2 run each term for ages seven to fifteen, and we welcome school groups to matinee performances.See youth theatre
Groups of ten or moreBring a club, a society or a coach party. Tell us the date and we will hold seats together and set up interval drinks.Talk to the box office
Meetings and training daysThe annexe meeting room seats twelve and the Quay Bar takes forty, with refreshments served throughout the day.Check availability
Conferences and presentationsThe auditorium seats 125 with 4k projection, a full lighting rig and a technician on hand for the whole booking.Hire the auditoriumThe venue
Nobody sits far from the stage
Eleven rows, labelled A to L. Free parking around Quay Lane and a private car park managed by ANPR, so please register your vehicle inside the theatre.
Level access to rows A and B
The auditorium
125 seats for live performance, 91 for screenings, sophisticated lighting and an immersive sound system.
Capacity 40, first floor
Quay Bar and annexe
Refurbished in summer 2025, with Quay lager, Adnams on tap, guest beers and a staffed licensed bar.
Capacity 12, £12.50 per hour
The annexe meeting room
A quiet room just off the bar for meetings, rehearsals, auditions and small groups.
Top artists love it
For a small venue, the Quay punches above its weight in terms of the quality of talent on show.
Before the curtain
Small things that make the evening
Order your interval drinks
Tell us what you would like when you book and it will be poured and waiting on the bar at the interval, no queue.
Join the Quay 100 Club
A monthly draw that supports the theatre directly, with prizes drawn from members and every surplus returned to the building.
Make a night of it in Sudbury
Free parking on Quay Lane from two hours before curtain up, with the town centre and riverside a short walk away.
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Seats in the auditorium
91 for screenings
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Built as a river warehouse
For the Stour Navigation Company
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Opened as a theatre
Opened on 5 December
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Rows, A to L
Nobody sits far from the stage
Why we exist
A rubble filled wharf, rescued by the people who wanted a stage
The Quay began life in 1791 as the principal warehouse for The River Stour Navigation Company. After the company went into liquidation it held bulldozers and cement mixers, until Sudbury Dramatic Society bought the building for £15,000 in 1977.
Volunteers and fundraisers raised the £120,000 needed for the conversion. On 5 December 1981 the theatre was opened by Geoff Kisby, in the presence of Max Wall. The Quay became a charity in its own right on 1 May 1987.
Today it is a professional arts centre and cultural hub, run by a small experienced team with essential support from our wonderful volunteers.
1791
Built for the Stour Navigation Company
1981
Opened as a theatre by Geoff Kisby
1987
Granted charitable status
In their words
A family of trustees, staff, volunteers and patrons
Quotations published by the Quay Theatre. We do not publish a star rating, so we would rather show you what our own people say.
It is not just the theatre itself, it is a family of Trustees, employees, volunteers and patrons all working together to make it an enjoyable venue for the widest possible audience.
Tony Willson
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Our vision at the Quay is to be the best theatre and cultural hub for the people of Sudbury and beyond, offering a broad and diverse programme of professional events, complemented by works produced by the community, for the community.
The Quay Theatre
Our published vision
For a small venue, the Quay punches above its weight in terms of the quality of talent on show.
The Quay Theatre
On the artists who play here
Notes from the Quay
Stories from a working theatre
Writing from the team about the building, the programme and the people who keep the doors open.
Behind the bar
The Quay Bar reopened in summer 2025, and Quay lager arrived with it
A comfortable, friendly room with Adnams on tap, guest beers, bottled ales, soft drinks, hot drinks, ice creams and snacks. It opens one hour before the performance, and depending on the show it may close after the interval.
Read the noteTechnical
Rig, stage plan and specification, published for every visiting company
Our technical information for 2025, the standard lighting rig and the stage ground plan are all available before you arrive.
Community
The 100 Club paid for the green room, the foyer heaters and the jetty
Five pounds a month, one number in every draw, and a bumper draw at Christmas. Recent winners took £128, £97 and £39.
The Quay post
Programme news, on sale dates and the odd rehearsal photograph
One email when the new season opens, and a short note when tickets go on sale. Nothing else.
Keep the Quay thriving
Make your next visit possible for someone else
The Quay is a registered charity. Your gift supports the programme, the building and opportunities for people across Sudbury to take part.
Choose an amount
- Registered charity
- Every gift supports live performance in Sudbury
Talk to the Quay
Bring your idea to Quay Lane
Krystle Charlton
Theatre Manager
“Tell us what you want to put on and we will tell you honestly whether this building can do it justice. Most of the time, it can.”
The Quay Theatre, Quay Lane, Sudbury CO10 2AN
Free parking on Quay Lane, private car park managed by ANPR
Technical enquiries: Joe Fawcett, Technical and Buildings Manager