Darwen Library Theatre has hosted many local performances and some more famous performers, such as Dave Spikey, The Grumbleweeds, Marc Almond, The Houghton Weavers and others.
Attached to Darwen Library, the theatre is a hub of community activity including several amateur dramatic clubs, a film society and a thriving reading group.
Darwen Library Theatre was opened as part of Darwen Library & Theatre, May 27, 1908. The Library & Theatre was opened by Andrew Carnegie.
The Library & Theatre was run by the Borough of Darwen and events and activities in the Library & Theatre were overseen by the “Free Library & Museum Committee”. All sorts of events took place in the Theatre. It was used by Darwen Literary Society and a whole host of community associations and voluntary groups. All these groups had to apply to the Borough Librarian in the first instance for permission to use the Theatre…and the Library Committee approved or disapproved the application. The Huntington Lectures took place in DLT.
A Lottery bid was granted and the Theatre became a fully fledged Theatre in 2000.