Loss of Coliseum a ‘dreadful blow’ to town

Reporter: Charlotte Green, Local Democracy Reporter
Date published: 03 February 2023

A theatre considered to be the ‘true home’ of traditional pantomime and where many of today’s top British actors first trod the boards is preparing to turn off the lights – perhaps forever.

People in Oldham say losing the Coliseum Theatre will strike at the heart of their town, and rob the chance for people in one of the most deprived places in England to create memories and be inspired to perform themselves.

“It’s a dreadful blow,” one resident says.

The venue dates back to 1885 when it began life as the Colosseum in the town centre, among a cluster of other theatres which sprang up to entertain residents during the peak of the cotton industry.

But by the 21st century the Coliseum, now based on Fairbottom Street, had become the only surviving professional theatre in the town.

Despite its small size of just 585 seats, it has an illustrious CV of past performers, from comedy titans such as Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, to modern movie stars Ralph Fiennes and Minnie Driver.

Many of the early cast members of Coronation Street, including Jean Alexander as Hilda Ogden, began their careers at the Coliseum’s repertory company.

Although it is being championed today by northern actors such as Julie Hesmondhalgh, Christopher Biggins and Maxine Peake, the Coliseum is facing an uncertain future.

It confirmed in November it had been dropped from the Arts Council England funding portfolio – a major source of revenue for the theatre – after unsuccessfully applying for more than £1.84m for the next three years till 2026.

This week it announced it was cancelling all shows from March 26, including spring-summer programme and the 2023-24 pantomime Sleeping Beauty.

In the foyer of the theatre, staff in the box office field a ‘constant stream’ of phone calls from people ringing up to express their sympathies and ask how they can help. 

Some share their memories of performances past, others ask if there is a petition or official campaign they can support.

“It’s overwhelming, it’s going to make me cry,” one staff member says. 

For Chris Lawson, artistic director and chief executive of the Coliseum, the unprecedented cancellation of the coming season’s productions has been a traumatic experience.

“Personally it’s been horrific,” he says.

“And it’s something that will sit with me for the rest of my life.

"I don’t think there is any preparation to have to do something like that. 

“Certainly in a theatre that’s as loved by the community, with a staff team some of which that’s been here for over 20 years, when you work on a daily basis with these people and you know their families and you’re invited to their weddings, and it also impacts you as well.

"It’s something that I don’t wish to repeat and something that ideally I would have not had to have done.

“It’s such a challenging situation and my priority is looking after the staff team and communicating the best I can with audiences and just continuing to work things out and we’re at a stage where the conversations are ongoing.”

On the question of the future of the Coliseum, whether it can stay at the current site and what an alternative might look like, Chris says those decisions are out of their hands and lie now with Arts Council England, which has earmarked £1.8m for culture in Oldham, and the local council.

“I think the overarching priority is what does arts and culture look like in Oldham going forward and where does the Coliseum sit within that. And at the moment in some cases we still have more questions than answers,” he adds.

“We are very realistic about our current situation and that’s why we have made the decisions that we have had to make, but there are conversations around a new building and we want to remain part of those.”

However, physical problems with the Fairbottom Street theatre that were not resolved by a broadly ‘cosmetic’ revamp in 2012, mean that he believes a long term solution has to be a new venue in the town.

“There are problems with the building away from the public spaces. There was a wall that fell down a few weeks ago and repairs on the ceilings across the building,” Chris explains.

“What naturally comes with a building as old as this is ongoing repairs and increasing costs at a time of economic difficulty.

“Ultimately the question around staying in the building long term was never really on the cards.

"But that’s difficult when a new build is still being discussed but doesn’t yet exist.”

The decision to cancel the season and future performances has clearly taken an emotional toll on Chris.

However, he still seems broadly optimistic that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, a way for the show to still go on – eventually. 

“The Arts Council have been highly praising of our work in the community and our work on stage, whether that’s Maxine Peake’s ‘Beryl’ that went on tour or Jim Cartwright’s ‘Road’ that was on in September,” he says.

“Panto is a big part of what we do and we had 83 performances of panto this year and over 33,000 people come through the doors, and I think that indicates what the theatre means for Oldham and for many this is their first experience of live theatre.

“The cancellation of the season accurately reflects the very real risk that we’re facing but equally as a team we can’t just sit and allow that to be the narrative while there are opportunities to speak to the council and the Arts Council and those conversations are ongoing.

“I think I have to approach and attack that in the way I know best, which is caring.”

Despite a grey afternoon of blustery rain showers, Heather Tomkinson makes beeline along Fairbottom Street determined to buy tickets for the last shows before they cease from the end of March.

She and her husband Michael have been supporting the Coliseum since the 1980s, after they heard a radio adaptation of the Howard Goodall play Girlfriends and booked tickets to see it in Oldham.

They have been attending productions ever since. 

“It’s dreadful, an absolutely dreadful blow,” she says. 

“I think Oldham will have lost part of its heritage because it’s been here a long time.

"A lot of the people we see on TV like Sarah Lancashire came through Oldham Theatre Workshop which used to be the young people’s acting group, and performed at the Coliseum.

“So a lot of people and a lot of the old ones like Dora Bryan originally started off here.

“It is quite a big loss to Oldham. It has a legacy of people coming and people starting out here.

"And the panto has always been very, very popular.”

Michael agrees. “It’s an institution,” he adds.

“It’s been a great apprenticeship for so many famous actors, many who started as children at the workshops.”

Further into the town centre, Melanie Turton is walking along Yorkshire Street with her family.

She’s hopeful the Coliseum can be saved, and has signed a petition which calls on the council to keep the Fairbottom Street venue open.

“It’s a place to take the grand-kids when they get older,” she says.

“It’s making memories as well with the family and the kids and it’s what they know. 

“My friend goes every year to the Christmas panto.

"It’s what’s made Oldham basically, the Coliseum. It’s been there for years and years.

"If it goes it’s another thing that’s moving or we’re losing in Oldham.”

Gesturing at her baby grandson in a buggy, the 45-year-old adds: “It would be nice to take him when he’s getting a bit older – he’d probably just run down the aisles now. 

“But I’d like to build those traditions with him.”

On Yorkshire Street, at the junction with Parliament Square where a statue of Suffragette Annie Kenney now stands, students Dahley Whitehead and Megan Williamson-Purkhardt are preparing to shoot some photographs for a project. 

When asked, they hadn’t heard the news about the Coliseum – which broke on Tuesday.

But they’re both shocked and saddened to find out all shows, including the annual pantomime, have been cancelled from March onwards.

“I love the pantomime,” Dahley, 18, says.

"“I used to always go with my parents as a kid, it’s sad, it’s one of the only cool things to do in Oldham at Christmas. 

“We were actually going to start booking things tomorrow.

"I love theatre and musicals and all that stuff. 

“From primary school they used to take us out to pantomimes all the time, especially to Oldham Coliseum.

"And I would always say to my mum I wanted to perform on that stage, be up there, and because of that I got into musical theatre.

“It is really sad. We haven’t really got anything else going on around here.”

Megan adds: “I remember going with my primary school watching Sleeping Beauty.

"It’s important, especially as poorer schools round here can afford to go to the Coliseum.

"They were good shows, you enjoyed them.

“I think I went probably two or three times a year. I absolutely loved it, my sisters loved it.

"I just think it’s a big part of Oldham.” 

The timing of the announcement about the Coliseum coincides with a decision by the government last month to award its second round of Levelling Up funding to local authorities.

Oldham was successful in winning £20m for a new green technology network in the borough.

But a second bid, specifically for a culture and a ‘creative improvement district’, and which would have included a new theatre at its heart, was unsuccessful. 

However, council leader Amanda Chadderton says the town hall remains committed to the delivery of a new performance space in the town.

“Like everyone in Oldham I was devastated to hear the news about the Coliseum, and we’re working closely with them as they look at their options for the future,” she adds.

“The council has been in almost daily contact with them and continues to offer as much support as we can through this really difficult time.

"Oldham has such a rich cultural heritage, the Coliseum means so much to so many of our residents.

“While this news is a huge blow, this will not be the end of theatre in Oldham and Oldham council remains absolutely committed to arts and theatre in the borough.

“This is a huge part of our regeneration plans for the town centre and, together with partners including the Coliseum, we’re delivering the borough’s culture strategy – which includes the development of a new theatre.”

Oldham town’s two MPS, Jim McMahon and Debbie Abrahams, are also backing the theatre and calling for a way forward to be found to ensure its survival.

“The Oldham Coliseum is an important social and economic treasure for Oldham and beyond,” Mr McMahon said.

“Theatre, art and culture has the power to bring us joy, challenge our ideas and reshape how we think about society.

"It’s something that should be open to everyone regardless of where they live or how much money they make.

“That’s why it’s so disappointing and baffling that ACE have decided to withhold this funding from an area like Oldham that is a ‘Levelling-Up’ area for culture and choose to put a theatre that has been at the heart of Oldham for 135 years into turmoil.

“My thoughts are with those who have had their jobs, many of which are well paid, unionised jobs, affected as a result of this decision.

“I’ll do all I can as a local MP with Debbie Abrahams to secure its future.”

Ms Abrahams tweeted that she was ‘devastated’ by the news of the cancellations, and said it showed that the government’s ‘endless talk about ‘levelling up’ is just hot air’.

She added she would be meeting with the Arts Council next week to again raise the plight of the Coliseum following the funding withdrawal.

Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday about the Coliseum’s plight, Mayor Andy Burnham described it as a ‘really sad story’.

“The theatre, I think, has way over 100 years of history. There’s some massive names who’ve trod the boards of the Oldham Coliseum,” he added.

“It’s not strictly levelling up funding, but it is a levelling up issue because if you take venues like that out of Northern towns, you take the heartbeat out of them in the end.

“Oldham council are committing to a theatre in Oldham.

"They don’t run the Coliseum so it’s a difficult position for them.

“We do give out culture grants.

"We’re one of the city-regions that spends most on culture because we know it brings life to places like Oldham.

“That’s why we do it. We would support any organisation in Greater Manchester that needs help. But our funding would never be the mainstay.

"The Arts Council would be the national organisation.

"Ours would be the more supporting fund.

“I think what we’ve got to commit to is to ensure that Oldham has a theatre.

"The bottom line is that as far as I’m concerned.

"The generation growing up in Oldham needs the chance to put their talent on a stage and to be able to get the experience.”

An Arts Council England spokesperson said: “We appreciate how difficult it has been for the team at Oldham Coliseum to come to a decision to cancel forthcoming events, and how unsettling this must be for the staff and all those who work with the theatre, as well as how disappointing this is for audiences.

“The Arts Council is committed to supporting performing arts in Oldham, which hugely benefits the local community.

"We will continue to work together with the theatre and Oldham Council over the coming weeks on future plans.

“We are maintaining our investment in the town and have ring-fenced £1.845 million for Oldham over the next three years and are working with the council as they pursue their ambition to develop a new performing space for the town.”

The money is ringfenced specifically to be applied for the council, and the Arts Council says it is in a discussion with the authority about a programme of cultural activity over the next three years.

And plans for a new performance space in the town, supported by funding from the Towns Fund, are ‘still in development’.

---

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.