Ian Cheeseman presents Break-a-Leg on Tameside Radio, which is packed with great guests and theatre music. In his latest column, he talks about the plight of Oldham Coliseum Theatre.
The future of live theatre looks decidedly unsure at the moment.
The country is in recession and we can see cutbacks in every part of our society, some affect us directly and some don’t.
Attending live theatre, particularly professional productions, can be expensive and being close to Manchester, we are blessed to have several top class venues which stage wonderful shows week after week.
Last week I was at the Opera House watching Mamma Mia! which has totalled more than 2,500 performances on its current tour and has been running in the West End for more than two decades.
There are certain shows, like this one, that are guaranteed to fill a theatre, but that can’t be the case everywhere. Just as valuable to our towns and cities are the smaller venues and the AM/Dram productions that bring pride and joy to our communities.
As we all trim our budgets, so that we can still pay our energy bills and put food on the table, eating out and visiting the theatre are the first things that have to go.
Governments and councils will argue that they are being forced into difficult choices too, so the recent announcement by Oldham Coliseum that it will be forced to close its doors from late March because it has lost all the funding it receives from the Arts Council of England, while heartbreaking, wasn’t as surprising as it might have been.
In April 2008 we lost the Tameside Hippodrome, another much valued and much loved theatre.
This country seemingly can’t afford to keep our streets clean, operate an efficient health service and lots more things that make our lives better.
Theatre might not be top of many people’s priorities but culture, the sort that takes you out of your day to day anxieties, is essential for a healthy society.
It’s been encouraging to see the outpouring of support for Oldham Coliseum, I hope it can make a difference.
Oldham Coliseum Theatre
Last week I chatted to Mark Llewellyn, who wrote “They Started Here” the story of Oldham Coliseum Theatre, which featured Roy Barrowclough, Jean Alexander and Charlie Chaplin among others.
Mark was marketing director from the mid-nineties and there for many years and just like so many of us, is heartbroken by the potential decline of the grand oldtheatre.
He told me: “It started life as a circus, then it became a variety theatre, a cinema, a repertory theatre and most recently a receiving and producing house.
“It’s always had to change with the times. Even during my time, we had issues with Arts Council funding, so it’s always had to live in this way.
“I am worried that this latest crisis really could be the end for this famous old venue. To lose all of the Arts Council funding, rather than just a cut, which we’ve suffered in the past, could be a hammer blow.
“They are trying to do everything they can to find a solution and I’m sure there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.”
Worrying words from a man who knows so much about the ins and outs of what goes on at the Coliseum.
Away from the Coliseum, I’m so pleased that as I write this, the Opera House and Palace Theatres in Manchester have sell-out audiences for the Lion King and Mamma Mia! but I care about the smaller venues too.
My son is a passionate AM/Dram performer and back in his school days one of his earliest shows was Top Bunk at Oldham Coliseum.
If he’d never had that chance, maybe he wouldn’t be doing what he does so well, and many others too. Let’s hope the Coliseum survives, surely it must!
You can join Ian for Break-a-Leg on Tameside Radio 103.6FM every Sunday evening from 7pm to 9pm and Wednesdays from 9pm to 11pm. You can also catch up on previous episodes here.
