About the Garlinge Theatre

Stage your story!

With a capacity of 300, this gem of a theatre within Kent’s Area of Natural Beauty, is a safe space for creatives of any discipline to explore & express untold stories. We welcome challenging themes that encourage ARTivism!

In the heart of our local community, a quaint theatre is experiencing a transformative revival. Once dormant, it now hopes to become a rural centre for the performing arts, a vibrant beacon, pulsating with life and energy. What sets this theatre apart is not just the performances that grace its stage, but the eco-friendly and compassionate heart that beats within its walls

Rebirth of a theatre as a sustainable beacon for the community

The Garlinge Theatre, previously known as the Ensó theatre, was part of the Steiner School Canterbury, which was established by Ulrike and Alan Brockman. Mrs Brockman, born in Stuttgart, inherited her educational inspiration from her parents, who were friends of Rudolf Steiner and followers of his philosophy.

Mr Brockman was from Broad Oak, Canterbury. Together they moved to Perry Court Farm, Garlinge Green, which Mr Brockman had bought in 1953 and developed it into Kents first organic farm. In 1976 they bought the original farmhouse of Perry Court Farm with the vision of forming a community. From this, Steiner School Perry Court was founded and opened in 1976 to 14 students in 3 classes.

By 1996 the number of pupils had risen to 230 and it was felt that a new creative performance space was needed; this led to the birth of the Ensó Theatre in the autumn of 1997.

New era for the theatre

After the death of Alan Brockman in 2013, the school pupil numbers began to decline. The school closed in 2017 and out of this came the New School, Canterbury. The site is now occupied by Hope View School and The Light Root hub (a home educational group), with the theatre nestled between the two.

Since officially opening its doors on March 31st 2024, The Garlinge Theatre has hosted live music, original plays & musicals, dance events, presentations, and has been used as a filming location.