Theatre in Llandudno is centred on Venue Cymru, which gives the town a stronger cultural programme than many resorts its size. This should be appreciated, not treated as a wet-weather consolation prize.

Llandudno has a long theatrical tradition. The original pier pavilion served as a performance venue in the Victorian and Edwardian periods, and the Grand Theatre in the town centre was a fixture of earlier resort entertainment. Venue Cymru, opened in 1994, continues and expands that tradition with a programme of national scope.

Touring musicals, plays, comedians, orchestras, tribute shows and family productions all pass through. Some are refined. Some are not. Life is improved by knowing the difference and attending both with appropriate expectations.

A theatre night is one of the best ways to use Llandudno outside summer. Dinner, a show and a walk back along the seafront can be far better than waiting for beach weather like a tragic optimist.

The Venue Cymru programme typically includes a pantomime season in December and January, which is a particular local tradition and draws audiences from across North Wales. One attends pantomime in the spirit appropriate to it and does not arrive expecting Chekhov.

The programme changes, so check listings rather than assuming. A town cannot be blamed because you arrived between the thing you wanted and the thing you should have tried.

Classical concerts, Welsh language events and community theatre also feature in the programme alongside the commercial touring productions. This range reflects the venue’s function as the principal cultural building for a wider North Wales audience, not merely a resort entertainment option.

Theatre also changes the mood of the town. People dress slightly better, speak slightly louder and behave as though the evening has structure, which is often enough to prevent several social collapses.

The backstage and technical facilities at Venue Cymru allow it to host large productions that require significant staging. This means the touring programme can include technically ambitious shows that smaller regional venues cannot accommodate.

Not every performance will trouble the gods, but the range is valuable. A seaside town with a serious theatre venue has more backbone than one relying entirely on sunshine and fried batter.