Penny Theatre

Wow this place brings back so many memories. I was in England studying abroad in 2003 and was attending Canterbury Christ Church University and it was a blast. They had the best drink specials and prices on Tuesdays. The people were also so laid back and drama free. I’d like to come back to England again and visit this place.
Fantastic place located in a gorgeous little college town with beautiful cathedrals, castles and local people.
Cheers!

I nearly gave it 4 stars just purely for the Pound a Pint nights. But after visiting it a few weeks ago sober, I had to be honest with myself and not remember it fondly through the drunken haze.
So, as you’ve gathered, the drinks are really cheap. For a student town, this essentially makes it the holy grail for most people and the queues outside reflect this. If you want to go, bring a coat, seriously. They also now charge entry, which is a bit of a joke for a pub so be prepared.
Inside, it’s small but nice. There’s a small but manageable dance floor with a stage for live bands, making it a bit different from most of the other places in Canterbury (with the exception of a City.Sound.Project day). The bar is always well stocked, well served and you don’t queue for too long but if you’re hoping to sit down, you’re in the wrong place.
It does however have a pool table and a fruit machine with some pretty difficult questions so if you’re feeling lucky, give it a shot. You’ll have a decent night out… providing you’ve taken advantage of the ‘pound-​twenty-​five a pint’ nights, as they’re now called.

Cheap prices on a few drinks, reasonable prices on most everything else.
I really enjoy the atmosphere of this place, this is primarily because of the friendly bar staff who make sure I never have to wait long to order my drinks. They have pool tables indoors and the outdoor area is very nice with its own TV screen.
The toilets are excellent as the walls are plastered with old comics so every bog visit is an adventure.

This place has became a real dive over the last year and a bit.
2 years ago i used to visit this place on a weekly basis with friends and always had a good time, my only complaint was it gets very hot inside due to the volume of people and when it’s busy they don’t appear to wash up the glasses between use.
On attempting to visit recently i was asked to pay an entry fee, i refused to pay and went home out of principle as i’m not prepared to pay to go in a pub which is at the lower end in canterbury when all the rest are free and i had already paid them to join their yellow card scheme.
As i was walking away i was shocked to hear the doorman/​bouncer (who i had not been rude to in any way) shouting abuse at me down the road, for a pub that is part of chain owned by the largest operator in the country i found this grossly unprofessional and shall be making a point of never visiting this place again!

I’m going against the grain here as I remember a completely different incarnation of this place. With it’s ancient tiny theatre out the back, this place was shabby, atmospheric and although could only take about 150 people standing played host to both Radiohead and the Cranberries when their first albums came out in the early 90s.
Unrecognisable now, no real ale, cheap drinks and no atmosphere. I can understand it being popular with students and sports fans, but it feels as though Canterbury has lost something special.

This used to be alright from what i can remember and yes i remember the sourz towerz and yes they were great.
It is now known as the scream bar but i think i prefered the penny theatre name and also the sign. the sign was pretty cool and pretty freaky. The painting itself was called scream which is why the ended up changing the name i think but then they got rid of the sign? i don’t understand that one myself.
Have never eaten here but drunk lots! good beer on tap and friendly bar staff.

Now known as Scream Bar. Fun all round, if they still do it then i reccommend the sourz towerz. So fun but don’t expect to get drunk on it. will show all the sports and also pool tables. Big tables for large parties. Good drink deals and also some great staff. If you are a student then dont forget your yellow card. definately worth the discount!