Curtain up on a new era for the Stag

Published: Tuesday, 26th August 2025

Sevenoaks District Councillors will soon consider transferring the iconic Stag Community Arts Centre to Sevenoaks Town Council, on a long lease, helping to secure its long-term future.

The Stag has been part of Sevenoaks town life since it opened as the Majestic Cinema in 1936 as a 1,360-seater venue.

It underwent major changes in the 1970s with the construction of two cinema screens and a reduction of the auditorium to 450 seats.

Sevenoaks District Council purchased the facility in 1985, and it was subsequently operated by the Sevenoaks Theatre Action Group or ‘STAG’ for short. The Council added The Plaza Suite and funded other major renovations in the 1990s.

For a brief period from 2007, the theatre was run by Kino and renamed the Sevenoaks Playhouse. But following financial difficulties, Sevenoaks Town Council took over the lease in 2009 and changed the name to the Stag Community Arts Centre.

A charity, set up by the Town Council, has operated the Centre for the past 16 years with the help of local volunteers. The Town Council also opened the House in the Basement Youth Café at the centre in 2011.

Recently, in 2022, the Stag received £42,600 towards solar panels from Sevenoaks District Council’s CIL fund.

Now Sevenoaks District Council is considering transferring the Stag to Sevenoaks Town Council on a 100-year, rent-free lease. This would help secure its future by allowing the Town Council to make long-term plans, including new investment in the facility. The Town Council could commit to providing this valuable social and leisure facility, together with an exciting programme of community and engagement activities.

Theatres and not only important culturally they also support the local economy. Nationally, for every £1 spent on theatre tickets, an additional £1.40 is spent in nearby businesses.

Cllr Kevin Maskell, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Investments, says: “The Stag, in one form or another, has been a mainstay in Sevenoaks for nearly 90 years. Not only is it important to our cultural life, it is an essential part of the town’s economy.”

“While in our ownership for the past 40 years, we have invested heavily in refurbishment and extensions and recently secured substantial funding to help pay towards solar panels.

“As we look to the future, the time is right to consider offering Sevenoaks Town Council a 100-year lease. This will help the Town Council make long-term plans, including new investment in this much-loved centre, benefitting theatre and cinema goers and local businesses alike.

“We also want to thank the Town Council for its substantial efforts putting together an impressive business case through our Community Asset Transfer Scheme.”

The proposal will be considered by Sevenoaks District Council’s Finance & Investment Advisory Committee on 2 September 2025, Cabinet on 18 September 2025 with a final decision taken at the Council meeting on 19 November 2025.