This side of the auditorium is known as the Gully, for obvious reasons. Sandwiched between two rocky outcrops, it was not part of the first phase of development at the Minack. In the 1960s, the success of the theatre meant increasing demand for tickets, and Miss Cade decided to tackle this steep rocky slope. There was no natural terracing here, so she built out from the cliff, in a series of steps, clad in concrete. In doing so, she created one of the most distinctive parts of the theatre.
Miss Cade designed these unique seats herself. She decorated each one using an old screwdriver to etch the patterns into the wet concrete. As well as the names of plays and the years they were performed, you will see that each seat is individually numbered. There are also drainage channels built into the seats, so that the audience don’t find themselves sitting in a puddle.
On the second row is a very special seat. It is the only seat in the theatre constructed of granite not concrete. It was placed there by Miss Cade as a memorial to her friend and gardener Billy Rawlings, who was her principal helper in the early years of constructing the theatre.
Just across the steps, on the front row of the main terrace is a seat on which is carved ‘Interval for War’ commemorating the ten years when the theatre was closed during and after the Second World War.
Climb the steps beside the gully to the small covered balcony half-way up.