Teatro Bartrina

Teatro Bartrina is the second theatre of Reus, a Catalan city in the province of Tarragona, and a building protected as a local cultural asset. Set into the ground floor of the Centre de Lectura, a long-standing cultural institution in Reus, the theatre has served as a performance venue for well over a century.

Where does the theatre's name come from?

The venue is named after Joaquim Bartrina, a poet connected with Reus. Naming the hall after him is how the city keeps a local literary figure present in the building's own identity.

How was the theatre built?

The site's stage history began in 1904, when an open-air summer theatre opened in the garden of the Centre de Lectura building. A year later, in 1905, the Centre de Lectura's own indoor theatre opened, and this is generally taken as the true starting point of today's Teatro Bartrina. The building reached its current architectural form somewhat later: between 1918 and 1920, the original stage was enlarged to a design by architect Josep Simó Bofarull, with interior decoration created by Barcelona-based stage designer Josep Rocarol.

What does the auditorium look like?

Teatro Bartrina follows the classic layout of an Italian-style theatre: a rectangular hall faces the stage directly, and the stalls are ringed by three tiers of boxes. A technical curiosity sets the room apart — a mechanism installed in 1924 lets the stalls floor change position, staying tilted for performances or leveling out flat, which turns the same room into an open space suited to other uses, such as dances.

What changed in recent decades?

The building underwent a major renovation in 1995. A new wing with an independent entrance from Plaça del Teatre was added at that time, designed by architect Anton Pàmies Martorell. The extension gave theatregoers their own way into the hall, separate from the main entrance to the Centre de Lectura.

Why visit Teatro Bartrina?

The building carries genuine historical weight — it is the second-oldest theatre in Reus and a recognized local cultural asset — while still functioning as an active stage for the city. Few venues combine a floor plan kept intact for more than a hundred years with a mechanism engineered to adapt that same room to different uses.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the name Teatro Bartrina come from? It honors Joaquim Bartrina, a poet connected with Reus.

Where exactly is the theatre located? On the ground floor of the Centre de Lectura building in Reus, in Catalonia's Tarragona province.

When was the theatre built? An open-air summer stage opened in the garden in 1904, followed by the Centre de Lectura's own indoor theatre in 1905. The building reached its current architectural form between 1918 and 1920.

What makes the auditorium distinctive? Its classic Italian-theatre layout, with three tiers of boxes ringing the stalls, plus a mechanism dating to 1924 that can level the stalls floor for non-theatrical uses.

Has the building been renovated? Yes — in 1995 a new wing with a separate entrance from Plaça del Teatre was added, designed by architect Anton Pàmies Martorell.