Miss Cade was unsentimental about the fabric of her theatre. She did not consider its form to be permanent and would create new structures out of concrete for particular productions and later take them down or replace them with something else. The platform in the centre of the stage was built for a performance of Tristan of Cornwall in 1951, while the balcony stage right was created for a production of Romeo and Juliet.
Miss Cade died in 1983, shortly before her 90th birthday. She was still working on the building of the theatre well into her 80s. We have kept the structure of the theatre itself as it was at the time of her death, but much has changed around it since.
The Minack is a living, working theatre and we seek to create a balance between the needs of a modern entertainment arena and preserving the delicate fabric of this unique place. We have also developed new features sympathetic to Miss Cade’s legacy including our sub-tropical gardens, which are the final stop on our tour.
If it is open, please visit the Rowena Cade Exhibition opposite the café, to discover more about this remarkable woman and her extraordinary legacy.
Retrace your steps along the terrace past the toilet block and make your way up the winding paths into the top garden to the left of the toilets.