Exhibition Hall Theatre

The Exhibition Hall Theatre sits in Durham, a proper working venue that's been putting on shows for decades. It's the sort of place where you'll catch everything from amateur dramatics to touring productions - genuinely local theatre, the kind that keeps a community's cultural life ticking over. The building itself isn't flashy, but that's rather the point. You're here for what happens on stage, not the foyer.

It works best for theatre-goers who want something authentic rather than slick. If you're camping at one of the nearby sites - West Hall Glamping is closest at two miles, or any of the others dotted round the area like Durham Grange or Finchale Abbey - you've got an easy trip into town for an evening show. The theatre's small enough that you'll actually see the stage from anywhere in the house, which beats fighting for sightlines in a sprawling regional operation.

What matters here is checking their programme before you book your accommodation. You'll need to ring ahead or find their current listings online - opening hours and admission vary entirely depending on what's on. A sell-out amateur production might pack the place; a quiet Tuesday could mean slim pickings. Best approach is to plan around a show you actually fancy seeing, rather than treating it as a rainy-day fallback. Durham itself is worth a wander anyway, so even if the theatre's dark on your dates, you won't have wasted the trip.