State of theatres / disrepair

TBF this is nothing new, from the early days of the West End when theatres were thrown-up as cheaply as possible, many in the speculative hope that they would be purchased as part of a larger development. The Playhouse - 1882 - was built because it was thought Charing Cross Station - opened in 1863 but bursting at the seams and in need of expansion would require the theatre site, Hungerford Bridge was subsequently widened in 1887, but the railway declined to buy the theatre. One of the precursors of ATG, Apollo Leisure, were notorious for not spending on the buildings. Although the National Lottery has been around for longer than some of the TB members, it was this that spurred the major overhaul and (re)building of many venues, but arguably allowed ACE (as directed by several Govts) to cut funding. 

There have been many studies lamenting the state of UK arts facilities. The Arts Council of GB's "Housing the Arts in Great Britain" in 1959, stated in the conclusion ""Many provincial theatres, especially repertory theatres and many concert halls have become physically shabby and unattractive through lack of funds to renovate and refurbish themselves" ..... "Much could be done to rehabilitate those mouldering buildings if there were available a central loan fund (administered by the Arts Council or a national Trust for the Buildings for the Arts) from which long-term interest-free loans could be made to give these premises a comprehensive facelift and new look" The Theatres Trust report "Act Now! Modernising London's West End Theatres" 2003, reports stated "If the West End's theatres are to thrive for another hundred years we need to act now. The VAT on West End ticket sales alone, recouped by the Treasury now amounts to over £48million pa - nearly three times the amount needed to annually to refurbish those theatres." ".. the total requirement is such that there is no alternative but to look to Government or other outside agencies for some kind of matching assistance". The 'ticket sales alone' bit is interesting as theatres are widely proven to enhance the immediate area they sit on, though promoting footfall, and additional spend in bars, restaurants, shops and hotels etc. The development of Sheffield Theatres has transformed a once ugly and neglected area of the city.

Stephen Joseph (1921-67) believed that “Theatres should self-destruct after seven years”, to enable reinvention. Clearly impractical, but we currently find ourselves with a stock of theatres which are all too often stuck in a time warp, both technically and comfortwise. The architect Frank Matcham returned to many theatres within a few years to expand or improve the facilities, but now altering one of his surviving theatres is almost sacrosanct. Therein lies the biggest problem. Developers would like to maximise the most profitable aspects of rebuilding, placing a minimal auditorium in the least attractive area, if at all. Requiring that a new theatre, replacing an older one, would need to be as good, if not better, would be problematical to achieve - much like the requirements in cities for 'affordable housing'. Statutorily Listing a building is probably too restrictive - but loosen the restrictions at your peril. The St James Theatre (Other Palace) nearly didn't happen - the space was left empty for years and the developers sought to repurpose it, having demolished the Westminster Theatre and built the profitable flats. The cinemas planned as a replacement of the Marble Arch Odeon will not now happen. There is no easy practical solution.

I have just returned from an organised tour of many of Hamburg's theatres. They are immaculately maintained, many have expensive repertoire programming, most have their own workshops / wardrobes / props departments etc, but the worsening German economy makes them all fearful of the future. Many are state owned, and there have been several new, mainly musical houses, built in the past 25 years. These new theatres, mostly privately owned - have well-equipped stages, extensive f-o-h areas with vast cloakrooms, bars and, well, the space lacking in London, but have dire auditoria. Big empty black barns, with red seats. The Neue Flora Theater was built in 1988 specifically for Phantom of the Opera, which they thought would run forever there. The stage area is unbelievable, the f-o-h amazing, the location not so good, and the auditorium! Anything less like the Paris Opera would be hard to imagine. Two thousand seats in a drab warehouse. They seemed genuinely envious of the "glamour" of UK theatres.

Sometimes we only see the disadvantages, and ignore the assets. But once they're gone, they're gone!