The Hawth Theatre is an arts and entertainment centre located near Gatwick in the English town of Crowley. The theatre is built on 38 acres of woodland and its expansive gardens provide visitors a chance to chill out especially for stressed out executives returning from Gatwick Airport.

The history of the Hawth goes back to the 60’s, in 1964 a scheme to build a small art theatre near the Crowley city council was dismissed and the following 22 years saw the compilation of a number of proposals to establish an arts and culture centre in the area. The final plans for the Hawth theatre were approved in 1986 and two year later the 7 million sterling pound project opened its doors for the public, with a week worth of free entertainment.

Since its opening the Hawth has seen a number of high profile performers such as Richard Wilson, Nigel Havers, Pundit Ravi Shankar, Tom Conti, Eddie Izzard, Jack Dee, Jimmy Carr, Ruby Wax and Nigel Kennedy. West End Musicals have also been regularly featured here and have been greeted with packed crowds eager to see productions such as West Side Story, Chess, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Evita, Blood Brothers, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Visiting theatre companies such as the Royal Shakespere Company and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have performed here as well. The Hawth also hosted the Royal Gala in 1992 which had the Princess of Wales in attendance. The Hawth is seen as a smaller scale venue for adventurous performers and has seen experimental performers in Jazz, Blues and folk music.

The Hawth has an extensive lineup. The theatre and its allied studio and amphitheatre host about 350 events and shows a year. Its close proximity to the Gatwick International Airport makes it a great place to enjoy an evening of culture after a long flight. A Gatwick airport hotel can also be found close to the Hawth which makes it a great place to relax in between flights or business meetings.