seeing theatre in a new light
After a two-day delay from the planned opening night, Streatham Hill Theatre opened its doors on 20th November 1929 with the C B Cochran revue WAKE UP AND DREAM, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, arriving straight from the West End.
Now having been purchased by the Ruach Church this year, the Friends organisation will play a most important part in maintaining the theatre’s facilities and unique position as London’s largest surviving suburban theatre.
On 29th June, Streatham Hill Theatre was announced as being added to the SAVE Britain’s Heritage Buildings at Risk Register 2022.
The theatre campaign has gained two new Patrons – David Harewood and Jools Holland
, as well as a new 15 minute video (which you can watch below) about the campaign and the work being done to save this sleeping beauty from the wreckers’ ball.
David Harewood MBE and Jools Holland OBE DL have become Patrons of The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre campaign to find a sustainable solution to the future of the building, and promote its return to use as an arts and culture venue for the community. Harewood and Holland join the other distinguished Patrons of the campaign who include Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE, DL, Samira Ahmed, and Sir Mark Rylance.
Also, broadcast journalism students at the University of Westminster have published online a student documentary featuring Sherwood star, and campaign Patron, Robert Glenister, and others, covering the history of the Theatre, its importance, and the campaign to save it. You can watch this by clicking the image above.
Responding to these announcements, David Harvey, Chair, The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre said “These developments demonstrate yet more recognition for the majestic Streatham Hill Theatre, its historic importance, and the breadth and depth of support in the community for the building to be rejuvenated for a future in arts and culture.”
Jools Holland said: “The prospect of bringing back to life a theatre in South London, with a stage the equivalent size of the Palladium, is very exciting. My friend the late Chris Barber and his jazz band played there in the fifties, and it would be so wonderful to see the Streatham Hill Theatre filled with all kinds of music once again. I’m delighted to add my support to this important campaign to save it.”
David Harewood said: “Theatre and the Creative Arts are so important for people’s well-being, which is just one of the reasons I’m fully behind the Friends’ campaign to bring this very special building back to life as a beating heart for our wonderful Streatham community and beyond.”
Henrietta Billings, Director, SAVE Britain’s Heritage, said: “With dazzlingly opulent interiors, this exceptional 1920s theatre is an important part of London’s rich cultural history. Remarkably little altered since it opened, it is well-suited to being brought back into use as a performance venue. SAVE Britain’s Heritage is today adding it to our Buildings at Risk Register as the theatre has lain largely disused for some time and is highly vulnerable to redevelopment. Fortunately, The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre have a vision to bring the theatre back into use for the community. SAVE wholeheartedly supports their initiative.”
Today, 4th November, Historic England has published its Heritage At Risk Register 2021,
which for the first time includes the Streatham Hill Theatre, one of eighteen new London sites added to the Register .
The Heritage At Risk Register sets out the historic sites in England most at risk of being lost forever as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development. The 2021 Register describes the Grade II listed Streatham Hill Theatre as “an unusually lavish example of a theatre built outside of the West End and was designed by William George Robert Sprague, one of the leading theatre architects of his generation. It is a rare survival as only a few of his buildings still exist today”.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “In London our theatres are the envy of the world, they provide a stage for aspiring artists and bring a wide range of benefits to our communities. That’s why I’m supporting efforts to ensure the magnificent Streatham Hill Theatre is saved for future generations, and why it’s so encouraging Historic England have recognised this is a place like no other and added it to the Heritage At Risk Register. I hope others will join me in supporting this remarkable building being transformed into an inclusive, cultural space that will serve the local community for years to come.”
This means that there will be more attention paid to the ongoing state of this now considered vulnerable building, and will hopefully focus mind on how to continue the process to bring this gigantic sleeping beauty back into productive community use.
Everyone is welcome to attend the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre’s next online meeting, on Wednesday November 3rd at 8.00pm.
Lasting approximately 90 minutes, the meeting will update all new and existing supporters of this fine and important venue about the progress made in their campaigning to secure the building- and it is rumoured they might have some big news to share.
You can register to attend via their advert which you can find here
A report commissioned by the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre has outlined the theatre’s significant potential in helping to restart and boost the local economy as well as providing work and opportunities to its local population.
An independent study says that restoring the dormant historic building as a centre for arts and culture “could play a major role in leading the post-Covid high-street recovery, developing the ’15-minute neighbourhood’, increasing localised co-working opportunities and ultimately making a significant economic contribution to the regeneration of this part of London”.
The Viability Study and Economic Impact Assessment was carried out by a team led by respected arts consultancy, FEI, and financially supported by the Mayor of London, Lambeth Council, the Theatres Trust and over 400 crowdfunded donations from the very supportive local community as well as other supporters from further afield.
The report outlines the Theatre’s potential to generate footfall, jobs and economic growth, estimating that over a 30 year period, Streatham Hill Theatre could add £70m+ to the local economy, alongside creating a broad range of economic and social benefits simply through its continued presence and usage.
The huge 1929-built theatre seats 2800 and was the last completed design of the celebrated theatre architect W G R Sprague. The building was most recently host to bingo which had kept it going, but now its future is uncertain and its enormous size ironically makes it even more vulnerable. Recognising this, the theatre was added to the Theatres Trust’s Theatres at Risk Register in 2017.
The venue’s relative distance from other large theatres in Wimbledon and Croydon may help it find a dedicated local audience as part of a sort of Outer London chain of ‘Number One” touring theatres.
You can read the report here
See my earlier detailed article about the theatre here
