At severe risk Dudley Hippodrome could be a magnet for entertainment, employment, jobs and prosperity and tourism in the area – any Council that wouldn’t want that is not competent in serving its constituents.
Dudley Hippodrome is a unique and irreplaceable Art Deco theatre at severe risk of destruction by its own Council to make way for a handful of prefabricated college buildings which could be built anywhere in the area and the need for which is increasingly in doubt.
With the Council ignoring its existence, as well as the vociferous and smart supporters group which has constantly held the Council up to public shame for their lack of care around this asset that the people own, on land gifted to the people, the Council have trampled across all normal modes of behaviour and demonstrated not only a lack of competence but also no belief in the future of their town. A failed city bid behind them, one might think that they would have second thoughts – notably that the lack of a professional theatre is what likely lost them the bid.
So for any sort of initiative, one must ignore the Council and look to the active and engaged supporters and friends group who have been doing fantastic work to keep the idea of the theatre’s survival alive in the hearts of those who see the theatre as a key to prosperity, employment and improved wellbeing in the area.
Their latest initiative was to commission a survey by an independent market research group, Oakham Research, around the future of the Hippodrome and what others would like to see it used for.
1,094 surveys were received by the deadline, and the findings from the responses make interesting reading.
You’ll find the main points in these screengrabs below:
There’ve been one or two gripes (perhaps by people who may be in line to benefit from the £5 million of taxpayers money earmarked for its destruction) that this survey is very pro-Hippodrome in its phrasing.
My answer – and why not? This will help to balance out the very anti-Hippodrome survey that the Council put out which barely mentioned the Hippodrome, and was completed by massively smaller numbers than participated in this new Hippodrome – initiated survey.
What this work has made clear is that there is an under-reported appetite for a purpose-built theatre of a professional standard, not the small, unsatisfactory and unraked halls found locally.
Any Council that wilfully destroys the area’s biggest cultural asset- especially the last professional theatre in this already culturally deprived area (as highlighted by the Arts Council) – will have a lot to answer for if the wreckers ball ever does touch our Hippodrome. Dudley Council, take note and change course – before you become the laughing stock of the UK.
Wherever you are, please help avoid the unnecessary destruction of a vital Art Deco theatre in Dudley. You can help by filling in a survey (below) which only takes s few moments and requires no personal information. Visitors to the renovated theatre could come from all across the country, creating employment, business opportunities and a huge amount of happiness- and boy do we all need that right now! Please click the link on the post below to add your voice against more needless demolition polluting our environment. Thank You
Dudley Hippodrome Development Trust says “Please share, share, share this link, with your family and friends, and ask them to find a couple of minutes to complete our survey, as you hopefully will do too. Just tap on the link below.
It is not too late to make a difference to the plight of Dudley Hippodrome. Dudley Council is pushing ahead with its plans to demolish the iconic building without doing the minimum necessary, which is a feasibility/ viability study.
We have instructed local firm Oakham Research (http://oakhamresearch.com/) to conduct this survey on our behalf.
There is a paper version and you are requested to contact the Trust so that arrangements can be made to facilitate those who wish to submit their opinions in that way. No personal details are requested during the survey which should take about 10 minutes to complete.
The resulting statistics will be analysed by Oakham Research and their findings will be published in due course.
This is YOUR chance to show the council that there is public demand for the refurbishment and reopening of the building for all to enjoy.
Thank you, and as we always say…..
You decide……….”
This really is our last chance to save this valuable resource, so please get involved.
If there’s anyone reading this who is feeling a little unsure about returning to theatre, let me assure you that you are not alone. Many people have contacted me over the last few weeks asking about how it’s all going, are the protocols in place working, how do people feel, etc. So this seemed like a good time to take a survey some of those who have already made their way into our West End theatres. So I did. And here are the major takeaways from what they all said. Respondents visited a sample of all the West End theatre groups which are currently open and showing work, and the feedback is intended to give you a general overview, as opposed to a theatre-by-theatre approach.
Did you have instructions when to arrive on your tickets? All respondents said that their confirmation email containing their e-tickets outlined when doors would open, where to enter, and what time they needed to be seated by.
What were your feelings of anticipation of returning to the theatre? The general response was that they were really looking forward to returning, particularly supporting the industry and enjoying a night out after so many months away from live theatre.
What were your feelings upon arrival at the theatre? One respondent responded they felt a little cautious, but the rest said they felt absolutely fine, and were eagerly anticipating their show.
Were there temperature checks/bag searches/any other entry processes?If so, were they conducted well? Anything they could improve upon? All respondents reported that Front of House processes were very well managed, and that there were separate queues, depending on where in the theatre one was sitting. There was unanimous praise for the helpful staff on hand to guide patrons to the correct queue. At all venues surveyed, our respondents were asked to scan the NHS Covid check-in QR code, but there were few temperature checks reported. All of the surveyed theatres were operating bag searches before entering the theatre, and hand sanitisers were noted as being widely available throughout all the theatres surveyed. Audiences were specifically instructed to keep masks on at all times when not drinking, and staff were reported as wandering the aisles throughout to ensure compliance. Some were reported as carrying signs to remind people about wearing masks.
Did you have any ticket issues? One respondent mentioned having trouble accessing her ticket PDF on her phone, and so she was redirected to the Box Office where paper tickets were made available. Respondent noted that the staff were very helpful and unflustered by this.
Re scanning the NHS QR code, did you each have to scan or could one person do it for your party? Each person had to scan separately. Patrons who didn’t have the app were asked to manually complete a form which were readily available on entry to the theatre.
How were the staff? Were there more than you expected or less of them? Staff were very friendly and helpful and clearly delighted to be back – but also very vigilant with ensuring mask compliance throughout. It was noted that staff were doing a great job, being firm but friendly and helpful. It was also noted that there were significantly more Front of House staff than previously seen around venues.
Any issues around queuing? One respondent had to queue to buy a programme, but was not fazed by this.
How was navigating your way around the building? Very easy, with clear signage. One respondent noted that “Pre-pandemic there was always a sense of rushing in the foyers, but this was all well-ordered and good-humoured”
Any problems? None reported
Any issues with your seats or surroundings? No issues, with appropriate seats blocked off to ensure social distancing at all venues surveyed.
How full was the theatre? Very mixed reactions to this one. The lowest was from a respondent who reported around 35% of socially-distanced capacity for their performance, albeit in the first week of reopening, on Friday. Several more mentioned varying percentages, up to 100% of socially-distanced capacity for a Saturday matinee in week two of reopening.
What was “the buzz” like? Several people noted the reduced numbers affected the “buzz” in the auditorium, but for several that was compensated by the excitement of those who were there. Very few reported any feelings of nervousness or anxiety, perhaps a sign that the Front of House teams are succeeding in helping people feel comfortable, by being so vigilant and friendly. All respondents described a level of “comeback high” at the end of their performance, a step towards normality that all were grateful for.
Did your show have an interval? Was it well-managed by the staff? Several shows had an interval and overall it was reported that they were well managed, with staff and patrons being mindful and kind.
Any issues around loos/queuing/bars/etc ? No major issues, with all mentioning that patrons were bring sensible and considerate, especially in queuing for the loos, still sadly an issue for the ladies. One respondent noted an issue at the bar – “restrictions meant only one person in each party could buy drinks from the bar to prevent crowding. A gentleman went to the bar to buy 3 mini bottles of wine/bubbly and was told he couldn’t take glass back into the theatre, and had to pour these into glasses before returning, however the glasses themselves weren’t big enough to hold the volume of liquid in each bottle, and he struggled to physically carry these back”.
Another respondent noted the strict queuing system for the bars at her show’s interval. “It was just like going to the bank!” she said, “personally, I think this is a brilliant idea that should be kept.”
Were there any issues with leaving the theatre? None reported.
What was your overall impression of the theatre’s handling of the safety processes and procedures. Overall we would say staff had been very well briefed and protocols were good
Would you recommend a theatre trip to others? “Yes, absolutely!” was the unanimous response from all those surveyed. One respondent mentioned “Although the theatre was relatively empty we more than made up for it in encouragement and appreciation of the performers, and it was such a lovely evening.”
Any tips on what to look out for? Issues to avoid? Nothing specific was noted by any of the respondents.
Conclusions My thanks to all the respondents for giving me their views and sharing them with all of us. It certainly appears that West End theatres are doing a splendid job of welcoming audiences back, taking sensible measures and enforcing them with a professionalism and warmth that the West End is famous for. I hope that these responses will help you make up your own mind about when and how you return to the West End – it has certainly helped me to feel much more confident about getting back to theatre, and Seeing It Safely!
