Minack Theatre, Cornwall

The theatre was the brainchild of Miss Rowena Cade, who lived at Minack Cottage. In 1929 a local village group of players had staged Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in a nearby meadow, repeating the production the next year.

They decided that their next production would be The Tempest and Miss Cade offered the garden of her cottage as a suitable location, as it was beside the sea. Miss Cade and her gardener made a terrace and rough seating, hauling materials down from the cottage or up via the winding path from the beach below.

In 1932, The Tempest was performed with the sea as a dramatic backdrop, to great success. Miss Cade resolved to improve the theatre, toiling hard over the course of the winter months each year throughout her life (with the help of Billy Rawlings and Charles Angove) so that others might perform each summer.

More information about this facinating venue can be found at the Minack website or on Wikipedia.

Getting there by public transport

A number of travel operators arrange trips to us.
These include pick-ups from -

• Penzance - by Mount’s Bay Coaches (01736 363320)
• St Ives -  by Oates Travel (01736 795343)
• Mullion - by Cornish Spirit (01326 241556)
• Falmouth - by Coast & Country (01326 211889
• Camborne - by Pixie Tours (01209 714000)

Getting there by car

The Minack Theatre and Visitor Centre are located at the extreme west of the UK, 20 minutes from the busy port and town of Penzance, 15 minutes from picturesque Mousehole, 10 minutes from Lands End, 30 minutes drive from St Ives, 60 minutes from Truro and Newquay and 90 minutes by road from the world famous EDEN PROJECT at Bodelva, St Austell.

Follow the map to Porthcurno, at the seaward end of the valley go up the winding hill and the theatre entrance is on the left. Parking in the large car park is free.