The Moat Theatre

About The Moat Theatre

The Early Days The Moat Club was formed in the early 1950's, its object to provide Naas with suitable facilities for drama and table tennis. In 1960 they bought the recently vacated Christian Brothers School. The building which began life as the first post-Penal Days Church in Naas derives its name from an ancient Moat - reputed to have connections with the Kings of Leinster-which is nearby. Using the upper portion as a Table Tennis hall, members began their plans to convert the lower classrooms into a theatre. With a great deal of hard work, a well equipped 125 seat theatre was opened in 1963. This theatre was the home of The Moat Club and served its purpose well for over 40 years. However, as the new millennium approached the Club decided to move with the times. A brand new theatre was planned on the existing site, incorporating the old building at a cost of €3.2m. The Result With lots of hard work and major fundraising, the new Moat Theatre opened its doors officially on the 11th April 2003. It includes a 200 seater auditorium and stage with retractable seating and a fly tower, two rehearsal rooms, male and female dressing rooms and a foyer/coffee shop and bar area. The flexibility of design of the spaces inside allows for multiple use of the various spaces in the building. The Moat Theatre development secured generous funding from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism and Naas Town Council. The Future planned Technical and venue upgrades are part-funded by The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

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