Cornish theatre grows out of the cliff.

Actors, friends and associates of Rowena Cade discuss their experiences working at the Minack Theatre and of the woman who built the theatre out of the Cornish coastline by hand. Rowena Cade brought land at Minack Point for £100 after WWI for her and her mother, building them both a house on top of the cliff. It was a nearby local village theatre troop in 1929 who needed a place to base their next production of the Tempest that inspired the growth of the theatre. As her land was beside the sea, she offered the troop her garden, along with her gardener Billy Rawlings they carved a terrace and a rough seating area near the cliffs edge. Minack or meynek in Cornish means rocky place which was very fitting. The play received great success, with people commenting on the dramatic backdrop. The theatre grew in scale almost naturally out of the landscape starting in the 30s to today with the help of Rowena, Billy, Tom Angove and Frank Thomas. The structures were cut and built by hand, with local stone and concrete using sand from the beach below which was carried up the cliff by Rowena herself. Today equipment, sets, provisions and maintenance of the site, the gardens and cliffs is carried out by a whole team of people.

The Minack Theatre is currently used from Easter to September, holding up to 200 performances including plays, musicals, opera and children's events. Produced by companies from all across the UK and America, around a quarter of a million people each year enjoy the stunning views and experience the live performances in the iconic open space. Since 1976 the theatre is a registered charitable trust and is managed by a local team. Rowena Cade passed on the 26 march 1983.