External Hire

The Dobson Theatre

Opened in 2017, The Dobson Theatre is a modern, versatile space for theatre, music, dance and presentations/ lectures, with exceptional acoustics, state of the art sound system, full lighting, presentation and AV facilities. 

Designed to host a diverse programme of events for the School, the local community and visiting professional performers, our 296 seat auditorium (which can expand to 400) provides an outstanding creative space for the city of Southampton. 

Currently home to many local community groups, including children's activities, a lecture series and a local church group. Outside of these regular hirers, we also work with one off hires, which has included the BBC, big bands, visiting theatre productions and more. 

The Dobson Theatre is typically hired out on a ‘dry hire’ basis, whereby we provide the use of the space only. Additional services, such as catering, ticket sales, technical theatre or audio-visual services can be provided.

For more details on the space, prices and how to hire, please contact the team at dobson@kes.hants.sch.uk. 

Other Hire Locations 

We also have other areas that are available to hire across the School. These include our Main Hall, Sports Hall, Cricket Nets, Sports Facilities and Classrooms. Please contact mdc@kes.hants.sch.uk for more information.