Hull New Theatre opened in 1939 in a conversion of the Assembly Rooms on Kingston Square. The original auditorium is preserved behind a major modern refit, completed in 2017, that gave the building a glassy new foyer and improved technical facilities. The annual programme leans on touring productions — Opera North and the Royal Ballet are regular visitors — interspersed with West End musicals and the long-running pantomime.
The Square outside is one of the prettier corners of Hull's Georgian quarter and worth a short detour. Pre-theatre eating is best in the Old Town, a ten-minute walk south; the foyer cafe is fine for an interval drink.