The former Plymouth Theatre on Main Street in downtown Plymouth stood defunct for years until Common Man owner Alex Ray purchased it and re-named it the Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center, bringing new life to Main Street and a new member to the Common Man family.
The 1920's era theater was most recently a cinema, but stood empty for many years until Ray purchased and re-opened the building in December 2009, showing classic and first-run movies within the existing movie theaters.
In April 2010, Ray and his Common Man construction team closed the theater for four months of extensive renovations, restoring much of the theater to what it looked like in the 1920s. Renovations of what was previously a two-screen movie theater included gutting the two existing cinemas and converting them into one intimate performance hall. Changes also included reconfiguring the entrance and concession areas, uncovering balcony seating that existed in the theater's earlier years, and completely renovating the restrooms. Common Man Vice President Diane Downing added vintage and retro pieces as she redesigned the entire building.
The unique new seating layout of the Flying Monkey allows fans to enjoy performances in ways no other venues in New Hampshire offer. A funky loune with comfy couches and chairs is included in the balcony section, and fans can remain seated in that area during performances. The Monkey's Orchestra seating is as close to the stage as most venues' Gold seating sections, giving more than 220 fans an up-close experience. New riser and balcony sections have reserved table seating and offer both food and beverage service in the main hall during performances, and a full-service bar is located at the back of reserved seating, allowing patrons to enjoy beverages within the main hall during performances. (View our floor plan here.)
Phase two renovations, slated for next year, include building a new movie theater downstairs and constructing a multi-purpose event room for meetings, workshops and other community needs.
Ray says he hopes the revitalization of the theater brings a renewed cultural beat to the area, offering a variety of live musical performances, dance, comedy, a silent film series and more.