Our history

To celebrate our 60th birthday in 2022 we launched Digital Diorama, an exhibition full of the riches from our archive collection, looking at the milestones which have shaped who we are today. Dive in and take a look below...

You can also download a list of all our Festival productions since 1962 here.

If you're hooked and want to know more about the history of CFT, you can visit our archive at the West Sussex Record Office or drop us a line at [email protected].

A woman in a flowery dress with a checked apron around her waist and her hair over one shoulder, smiles with her face turned upwards. She is standing in front of a blue background.
A black-and-white photo of a puppet rhino on the Festival Theatre stage. The puppet has its legs splayed and is facing the camera.
Five CFT staff members in green uniforms and blue aprons smile at the camera in a vintage photo.
Ten ticket stubs from the years 1962-63. They are in pastel colours of green, red, yellow and brown, with block lettering displaying dates, doors and seat numbers.