In 1969, work commenced on The Crucible in Sheffield, designed as a thrust stage theatre in the style pioneered by Tyrone Guthrie.
Earlier this year, Theatres Trust broadcast a fascinating online talk about how a group of visionaries came together to build this revolutionary thrust stage. And now, thanks to their generosity, you can see it here. The talk, which lasts an hour, is introduced by Jon Morgan of Theatres Trust and the talk is given by Tedd George, co-author of the book Stirring Up Sheffield: An Insider’s Account of the Battle to Build the Crucible Theatre.
architects’ illustration of completed project in 2024
Theatres Trust, the charity that campaigns to protect the UK’s theatres, has announced that it has removed the magnificent Grade II* listed building – reopening next year after extensive restoration work as Soho Theatre Walthamstow – from its Theatres at Risk Register.
The Theatres at Risk Register, which has been running for 17 years, calls attention to important theatre buildings, their challenges, and the cultural opportunities they bring to local communities. Since the list began, more than 80 theatres have been restored, revived or rebuilt. Soho Theatre Walthamstow is one of only three buildings removed from the risk register this year. to which it was first added in 2015.
Built in 1930 by architect Cecil Masey with interior decoration by Theodore Komisarjevsky, the Walthamstow venue opened as the Granada, an opulent ciné-variety theatre. Thirty years later it embraced live music concerts in between film engagements, hosting scores of famous acts including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash and The Ronettes. The Granada was given a Grade II Listing by English Heritage on 24th February 1987. The cinema then carried on through a number of changes of hands, including Virgin and ABC, before closed in 2003 as the EMD cinema, and the building was then bought by a group who planned to turn it into a church. The local community and Theatres Trust objected, on the grounds that the borough would lose its only working theatre and access to entertainment, the purpose for which the building was originally intended.
Local residents’ groups campaigned for the building to continue as an entertainment venue and in 2012 Waltham Forest Cinema Trust and Soho Theatre presented its vision of the building’s future to Waltham Forest Council. A decisive public planning inquiry ruled the following year in favour of the building continuing as an entertainment venue. After the church group sold the building a year later, part of it reopened as a bar, but the rest of the building, already in a terrible state from almost 20 years of neglect, fell into further disrepair.
It was added to the Theatres at Risk Register in 2015. Meanwhile Soho Theatre and Waltham Forest Council developed plans to acquire, restore and run the venue as an exciting new cultural hub – a local theatre with a national profile – and in 2019 the Council purchased the building with Soho Theatre on board to run the theatre. Thanks to the support of Theatres Trust, in 2020 they awarded Soho Theatre a Theatres at Risk Capacity Building Programme grant which enabled them to business plan and continue to support the project.
Coming off the At Risk Register in 2023 marks another major milestone in the building’s rich and fascinating history, and is cause for celebration indeed!
Soho Theatre Walthamstow during renovation work in 2022
The latest round of the Theatre Improvement Scheme in association with the Wolfson Foundation has awarded a total of £124,000 in grants to seven theatres.
This round of the scheme has funded small but impactful projects to reduce resource consumption and develop best practice in sustainability. These include replacing bathroom fixtures, fitting solar panels and battery storage, and updating lighting to energy-efficient LEDs.
The theatres receiving funding are:
An Lanntair, Stornoway
Cast, Doncaster
The Garage, Norwich
Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House
New Diorama Theatre, London
Old Fire Station, Oxford
Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle upon Tyne
Congratulations to all the recipients!
The next round of funding applications is now open (closing September 5th), so if your venue wants to improve its sustainability, find out more and apply here
Theatres Trust are looking for consultants to join their new national support framework supporting theatres across the UK as part of their new Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities project.
They are looking to commission between 20 and 30 mentors and advisers to the role of Consultant Specialist Advisers who will join our new national support framework supporting projects across the UK. This framework is being launched as part of the new Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities project, which aims to help theatres in need across the UK.
Made possible thanks to a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund as well as funding from the Pilgrim Trust and Swire Charitable Trust, the project aims to reduce the threat to ‘at risk’ theatres and strengthen the theatre sector’s resilience.
Specialist Advisers will act as a ‘critical friend’, providing mentoring or advice to groups working with theatre buildings in the UK. They will work alongside the Trust’s Advice Team, particularly the Theatres at Risk Adviser, and will be commissioned to work predominantly with organisations and groups connected to their Theatres at Risk and who would benefit from additional support to enable them to move forward with their plans.
Deadline for applications: 12 noon on 27th January
This Tuesday, 25 October, to celebrate European Historic Theatres Day, there is an illustrated talk at the V&A.
EUROPE’S NATIONAL THEATRES will be presented by Mike Sell (aided and abetted by Mark Fox).
As has now become custom, The Frank Matcham Society, in association with The Victoria and Albert Museum celebrate PERSPECTIV’s European Historic Theatres Day with an illustrated talk.Mike Sell, Vice-President of The Frank Matcham Society draws on his extensive travels and knowledge of European theatres to investigate the development of, and need for, National Theatres across an often troubled and divided continent.
Mike Sell is a historian and author specialising in theatre architecture who co-edited Curtains – a new life for old theatres and The Theatres Trust Guide to British Theatres 1750-1950; contributed to books Frank Matcham Theatre Architect and Frank Matcham and Co; authored Theatres and Concert Halls of Fellner and Helmer and in 2020 marked the centenary of Frank Matcham’s death publishing the Society’s Matcham Directory.
You could add to your day by visiting the new displays in the museum’s Theatre and Performance Galleries including the newly opened Re:Imagining Musicals. Entrance is free and the museum opens at 10am.
25 October 2.30pm
Hochhauser Auditorium, Victoria and Albert Museum,
The Sackler Courtyard Entrance,
Exhibition Road, South Kensington London SW7 2RL
Tickets only available from Ticketsource at www.ticketsource.co.uk (search for Frank Matcham Society)
(Tickets will not be available on the door or from the V&A)
