A 980-seat thrust-stage theatre completed in 1971, designed by Tanya Moiseiwitsch and revered in British theatre as a near-perfect performance space — the audience surrounds three sides of the stage and no seat is more than 15 metres from the action. The Crucible programmes a serious mix of classical drama and new writing, often with major directors and actors involved.
For 17 days each spring the auditorium is converted into the world's most famous snooker venue, hosting the World Championship and turning the surrounding Tudor Square into a fan zone. Pre-show drinks and a meal at the bar opposite the stage door are part of the ritual. The same complex includes the Lyceum Theatre next door — late-Victorian Frank Matcham horseshoe, restored in 1990 — and the smaller Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse.