Historic UK theatres under threat
Concerns have been raised over the future of more than 80 theatre buildings across the UK after the Theatres Trust published its latest research into venues at risk from dereliction or destruction.
According to the 2009 Theatre Buildings at Risk Register, the Opera House at Blackpool's Winter Gardens complex is among the venues most at risk due to a potential threat of demolition, while the Grade II-listed Derby Hippodrome has been partially demolished. Empty theatres in Stockon-on-Tees, Hyde and Swansea have also been included on the list, which features 13 new additions for 2009, although 11 have been removed and two have been downgraded from the 2008 register.
Mhora Samuel, Theatres Trust director, said: "Some of our architecturally significant theatres still lie abandoned or are under threat from redevelopment. Many could come back to life as theatres or become cultural centres for local communities. "We must do everything we can to make local authorities and owners aware of their responsibilities. The trust's aim is to prevent the loss of theatres, such as Glasgow's Coliseum, which was lost in a fire in May and had to be demolished."