Theatre

Bromley Council has authorised proposals to provide a "fully provisioned" replacement for Churchill Theatre after rumours were growing that the site was being "flogged".

Following concerns that the theatre’s 1970s structure was “beyond economic repair”, the council announced plans to update it in October 2023, with an estimated costs of up to £28m.

Initially, the council intended to transfer the freehold of the building to Trafalgar Group, which has been managing the theatre since 2017. However, the authority revealed in March it would be opening it up to bids from private developers and later listed the freehold on Rightmove for unconditional offers.

Speaking at a meeting, Council Leader Colin Smith said that despite “rumours being spread by unknown third parties” of “flogging” the building, there has to be a theatre on the site that must be “fully provisioned” operating to the existing standards of the Churchill. 

He added that while he hoped Trafalgar would still win the bid, there was a duty of care to ensure they “raise as much revenue as possible for the council’s taxpayers”.

Concerned the sale may lead to a change of use, the Liberal Democrat group started a petition to guarantee the site remains a theatre following its redevelopment, which has received over 5,600 signatures.

In response to Smith's statement, Liberal Democrat Councillor Julie Ireland said: “The thing that we hear most about from people, and we get emails all the time, is that they feel they have been left in the dark.

"To hear your reassurance today that there will be a theatre on that site of the same size and capacity will mean a huge amount to people who have come out and signed in their thousands the petition to save the theatre.”
 

A theatre and arts centre in Hampshire is to get a new home as part of a regeneration project funded by an £18.3m government levelling-up award.

The Lights in Andover will be relocated to a purpose-built building in a new location by the town's bus station and shopping centre car park.

Test Valley Borough Council has appointed architects Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF), whose previous projects include Winchester Theatre Royal and New Theatre Royal Portsmouth.

The new building will have a "state-of-the-art auditorium and modern spaces" and is expected to open in early 2027.

The scheme is part of the Andover town centre masterplan, which the council adopted in 2020. 

Leader of the Council Phil North said BFF had been chosen "for the quality of their work and extensive expertise in the cultural sector". 

BFF director Helen Grassly said that "whilst representative of the area and its history", the company would "provide a contemporary building for The Lights to expand their cultural and community offer”.

A planning application is expected later this year.

Ipswich Borough Council has announced plans for a £3.45m renovation of the city’s Regent Theatre to be completed by December 2025.

If approved, the project would be financed by a 20p restoration levy added to tickets, to be introduced from 5 August.

The renovation will include the installation of a lift, improvements to accessibility, larger bars and foyer areas, and updates to the canopy over the front doors.

It is the second phase of improvement works, the first part of which was completed last year with changes made to car parks, dressing rooms, backstage areas, and catering facilities.

A report set to be presented to the council's executive committee on 16 July said the project "will ensure that the Regent Theatre remains at the forefront of Ipswich’s visitor economy for many years to come."

Lavender Theatre in Surrey will embark on a year-long hiatus for upgrade works to take place.

The open-air theatre in Epsom said it will pause productions following its launch last year after it was decided that further work - including reinforcing audience footpaths and relocation of dressing-room facilities closer to the backstage areas - was required.

Artistic Director and co-founder Joe McNeice told The Stage the decision was made after the planning process for the changes "dragged on."

"We are in a greenfield space, in a lavender field, and building a theatre out of nothing was a lot of work, and there were still some things we wanted to improve on," he said.

"The problem was [the planning] got approved far too late, and so it became impossible for us to take that financial risk so late in the day to get everything ready for what we perceived might be quite a rushed season."
 

A new guide has been published to help theatres in Europe reach net-zero emissions by 2030.

The ETC Theatre Green Book is a partnership between the European Theatre Convention (ETC) and Renew Culture, the creators of the original Theatre Green Book.

The new tool provides a step-by-step guide to hitting net zero and is available as a free download.

It includes the first-ever self-certification for sustainability in theatre, available at four different levels: preliminary, basic, intermediate and advanced.

Reaching each level involves meeting increasingly stringent requirements on energy use or the reuse of materials.

The book is part of the ETC’s Sustainable Action Code and its pledge to be climate-neutral by 2030.

ETC Executive Director Heidi Wiley said: "There is no question that European theatres have the desire to become sustainable organisations. The issue is how to make this change happen in an effective and efficient way across an entire continent."

"We believe that networks of theatres can play a crucial role in supporting our sector to overcome challenges and push themselves to become climate neutral.

"We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Renew Culture and the Theatre Green Book to make sure this happens at scale across Europe."