Tales from the High Street - Leonards of Rochester

Step back into the retail heart of Rochester with Tales from the High Street, an immersive performance that brings the story of Leonards Department Store to life in the building where it all began. Enter Store 104 on Rochester High Street and be greeted by shop staff from different eras before joining Mr Leonard upstairs for a theatrical journey through the shop's rise and fall. Combining drama, comedy and song, the show traces Leonards from its slogan Leonards for Quality to stories that once made headlines on the High Street.

Performed by members of Medway Play Lab CIC, this production is part of Project Leonards, an award-backed local history initiative supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Research and community engagement, including Memories Tea Parties and archive material kindly provided by Medway Archives, have informed the script and staging to create an authentic, community-rooted experience. Audiences can expect a warm, nostalgic evening that mixes humour with historical detail.

Performances are scheduled for Friday 3rd April and Saturday 4th April at 7.30pm upstairs, with an accessible performance downstairs on Monday 6th April at 7.30pm. This event will appeal to anyone interested in local history, immersive theatre and the social story of British high streets. Book in advance to secure your place for a unique theatrical tribute to a vanished department store.