The theatre of Sabratha was built in the late 2nd century AD under the Severan dynasty and could seat an audience of around 5,000. The scaenae frons — the elaborate three-storey screen behind the stage — is the defining image of the site: three tiers of columns in local limestone with carved marble friezes, reconstructed to their full height by Italian archaeologists in the 1920s and 30s. The columns bear Corinthian capitals and the wall is punctuated by niches that once held statues. When the light is right in the morning or late afternoon, the effect against sea and sky is extraordinary.
The stage itself is broad and well-preserved, with relief carvings of the Judgement of Paris and other mythological scenes. The cavea (seating bank) is partly cut into the natural slope and partly supported on vaulted substructures, many of which are still accessible. Sabratha's theatre is often compared with the theatre at Aspendos in Turkey; it is less complete but arguably more dramatic in its coastal setting.