Things to do · Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton Theatre
A theatre in a former Salvation Army citadel in Chipping Norton, known for its long-running family pantomime, with films and other shows through the year. The Snow Queen runs from 18 November 2026 to 17 January 2027.
Family-friendly · Rainy days
The pantomime is the theatre's longest-running and largest show. Its season is long and its prices fall in the off-peak bands, so choose your date with care. Check the rest of the year's programme too, which includes films.
- Good: Traditional family pantomime is its longest-running and largest show each year
- Good: Relaxed performances, plus a visual story for first-time visitors
- Good: Free long-stay parking at New Street and Albion Street
- Worth knowing: No parking at the theatre: the nearest Blue Badge bays are in the town centre car park and at New Street, with a drop-off outside
- Worth knowing: Pushchairs are not allowed inside, but staff can store them
- Worth knowing: Daytime box office is at 7 Goddards Lane, not at the theatre
About
The Theatre at Chipping Norton is an arts venue and registered charity on Spring Street in Chipping Norton. It shows theatre and cinema, and its pantomime is the biggest and longest-running thing it does.
The building and its story
The first stones of the building were laid in 1888 for a Salvation Army citadel, and they can still be seen outside. It later served as a furniture warehouse. In 1968 two Royal Shakespeare Company actors, Tamara and John Malcolm, found it semi-derelict and for sale. Fundraising began in 1973 with a first pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, in the town hall, and residents were asked for £1 each toward the conversion. The theatre opened in 1975.
A major refurbishment in 1996 improved the stage, and Graham Rust painted the murals in the bar. Since 2012 the theatre has produced several of its own shows a year.
What is on
The pantomime for 2026 is The Snow Queen, by Toby Hulse, from 18 November 2026 to 17 January 2027. It runs 2 hours 20 minutes, and tickets go from £18 off-peak to £46 peak. Relaxed performances are at 11am on Friday 27 November and 4pm on Thursday 10 December. Films fill the gaps, including Cinema Bambino screenings for parents with babies up to 18 months. The Snow Queen also has an audio-described performance at 2pm on Saturday 28 November, with a touch tour at 1pm, and a captioned one at 2pm on Saturday 5 December. Check what's on for the rest of the programme.
Visiting
Book online, by phone on 01608 642350, or at the daytime box office at 7 Goddards Lane, which is not at the theatre. Children under 11 must be with someone aged 16 or over, and everyone from age 2 needs their own ticket. The auditorium doors usually open about 15 minutes before the start. Bar drinks can go in. Backstage tours for groups of up to 15 can be arranged for a suggested minimum donation of £70, on 01608 642349.
The Rollright Stones and Hook Norton Brewery are a short drive from the town. For the bus from Banbury, see our buses guide. Heythrop Park Hotel is a listed place to stay nearby.
Opening hours and season
Daytime box office, 7 Goddards Lane, from 19 October 2026: Tue, Thu, Fri 2pm to 6pm; Wed, Sat 10am to 2pm. Pre-show box office opens about 60 minutes before an event.
Facilities
- Theatre BarOpen 60 minutes before a show; drinks can go into the auditorium
- Town car parksFree long-stay at New Street (OX7 5NF) and Albion Street (OX7 5BJ)
- Accessible toiletOn the ground floor, with baby changing
- Drop-offRight outside the theatre
The details
- Time to allow
- As the show: The Snow Queen runs 2 hours 20 minutes
- Features
- Bar · Events and meetings · Guided tours
- History
- Built 1888 as a Salvation Army citadel; theatre since 1975
- Parking
- Free long-stay at New Street (OX7 5NF) and Albion Street (OX7 5BJ). Town square spaces are free with time limits until 6pm. The theatre asks patrons not to park outside its doors.
- Without a car
- Buses: S3 from Oxford, 488 from Banbury, X9 from Witney and Charlbury. Nearest stations: Kingham (5 miles) and Charlbury (6 miles).
Photos
A pantomime cast on stage at the theatre 
A play on the main stage 
A production at the theatre 
The theatre's sign
Location
Accessibility
- Accessible toilet
Access Register for tickets and box office help. Relaxed performances and a visual story. Step-free entry by the bar door on Spring Street; four wheelchair spaces with companion seats. No pushchairs in the auditorium. Drop-off outside, on double yellow lines. Nearest Blue Badge bays: town centre car park by Jaffé & Neal, and six at New Street.
Places to stay nearby
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The Fox, Chipping Norton
Pubs · Chipping Norton
A Hook Norton Brewery inn on the Market Place in Chipping Norton, in a Grade II listed building of the early 17th century, with Hooky on the bar, ten en suite bedrooms, breakfast to dinner and a car park behind.
Verified Nov 2026
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Cotswolds Hotel and Spa, Chipping Norton
Hotel
A large golf and spa hotel at Southcombe, on the edge of Chipping Norton, with 114 rooms and suites, an 18-hole parkland course, padel, spa treatments and Greys Restaurant, plus free parking.
Verified Nov 2026
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Heythrop Park
Hotel
A Warner adults-only hotel in a Grade II* listed house of the early 1700s, on 440 acres near Enstone, selling dinner, bed and breakfast breaks with nightly entertainment, a spa, a pool and an 18-hole golf course.
Verified Nov 2026
Nearby walks, places and things to do
- The Chequers, Chipping Norton 0.0 km away
- The Blue Boar, Chipping Norton 0.0 km away
- Jaffé and Neale Bookshop and Café, Chipping Norton 0.1 km away
- Alberto's, Chipping Norton 0.1 km away
Sights nearby
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Rollright Stones
Sight · Hill fort or barrow
Three prehistoric monuments on the Oxfordshire and Warwickshire border, built over more than 2,000 years: the Whispering Knights, the King's Men circle and the King Stone, with a legend of a king and a witch to go with them. Open daily; adults £2.