Roebuck Inn, Laughton, East Sussex

The Roebuck Inn is the only pub in the village of Laughton, in East Sussex. It specialises in local produce and ales and was previously closed for two years before an extensive refurbishment. The pub has a large hall which was previously operated as a cabaret venue, with a sprung dance floor which was installed by the Canadian Airforce who were stationed nearby during the war. The area has a long association with the arts, Lee Miller’s home is nearby along with Charleston House, the country home of the Bloomsbury set, and Glyndebourne Opera House.

Pub is The Hub has supported the development of live theatre and performance at the pub with a grant from its Community Services Fund towards the creation of an adaptable, movable stage in the hall. Along with Pub is The Hub, licensees Tony Leonard & Dominic McCartan are working with Applause Rural Touring and Inn Crowd in the provision of high quality touring theatre, music and literary projects at the Roebuck.

Project Summary:

To create a flexible rural pub theatre venue to host touring production, local companies, workshops, concerts and readings.

Outcomes so far:

• Increased engagement with all sections of our community.
• The project is attracting visitors in the area to the pub, promoting the village as destination for rural tourism.
• Encouraging participation and appreciation of live performance.
• Community development and cohesion.
• Combating isolation in young and old alike.
• Building new audiences for theatre companies.

Lessons to Learn:

There is a wide audience for a diverse range of quality live performance so programming should be broad and daring. There is no evidence to suggest that rural audiences are any less appreciative of unusual and original work than urban audiences.