As you may have heard – we have been given a development grant from the Arts Council towards the relocation of the Coliseum as part of a new Heritage Centre on Union Street. The Coliseum will be part of a fantastic Cultural Quarter bringing together Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Gallery Oldham, Local Studies and Archive Centre, Oldham Theatre Workshop in a single linked complex.
This is hugely exciting news not just for the Coliseum but for the whole of Oldham. It will be a large scale regeneration project that will have positive repercussions across the town centre. It’s a key investment in the future of Oldham. Couple that with the arrival of the Metrolink, a new theatre will be on everyone’s doorstep!
These are the same plans that were announced before Christmas when we also confirmed that we had been successful in the first stage of our bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Both the Arts Council and HLF have given us money to develop the project with a view to grant us more money the further we go in the planning stages.
Since the announcement on Tuesday a few people have asked me why we are planning to spend money on a new build when we’ve just had the Fairbottom Street theatre refurbished. The work we undertook during 2012 was essential to making sure there was a future for the Coliseum, if it hadn’t taken place then we would have had to close before we had a chance to stage Cinderella. The whole company would have had to shut down without knowing if we’d ever re-open. The planning for the new development was still in the very early stages when we made the decision to refurbish the theatre and it wasn’t guaranteed that we would be successful in the bid to move.
Even if the new build was confirmed before we refurbished it still wouldn’t happen for a few years and there would have been no theatre in Oldham for those years. By refurbishing our current theatre we ensured the company would keep going and we would still be able to serve our audiences.
The plans for the new theatre offers up a huge amount of possibilities for the company and the size will match the quality of what we do on stage in a way our current building does not. They’ll be better rehearsal spaces and more room for our education and outreach groups.
We still need to raise funds to add to the funding that we have already got and that will be part of a fundraising campaign that we’ll explain later on in the process. Oh and yes, we’ll be taking all the new comfy seats with us!
Kevin Shaw
Artistic Director
Friday, 25 January 2013
Friday, 18 January 2013
More news from an ambassador...
Hellooooo! :-) How is everybody? Can't hear you… Was that 'good'? Or, was that 'cold' brrr? Shout louder!!
That being said, I think the tip of my nose froze off when I was standing at the bus stop after the meal that the Coliseum had organised for all the front of house volunteers!
Back to panto, bye bye sweet Cinderella! ...And the Ugly Sisters (who I think I am in love with, men in womens clothes! Pretty close to Heaven for me!) and Bunty Hardup, and Buttons and everybody else!!!
I was very lucky to have seen the show five, yes, five times and would have gladly watched it a hundred times more
If only David Rustidge and Kevin Shaw had not put that twelve foot fence around the theatre to prevent me from climbing into the windows! Bring on next year's panto!!!!
Jane
Coliseum Ambassador and Front of House Volunteer
PS: if by any chance any of out there are helping to knit the set for the 'Inspector Norse', would you so kind and knit an extra sweater for me? You can drop it off at the Coliseum Box Office! Thank you!
And until next time, stay warm, my dears! Brrrr...
That being said, I think the tip of my nose froze off when I was standing at the bus stop after the meal that the Coliseum had organised for all the front of house volunteers!
Back to panto, bye bye sweet Cinderella! ...And the Ugly Sisters (who I think I am in love with, men in womens clothes! Pretty close to Heaven for me!) and Bunty Hardup, and Buttons and everybody else!!!
I was very lucky to have seen the show five, yes, five times and would have gladly watched it a hundred times more
If only David Rustidge and Kevin Shaw had not put that twelve foot fence around the theatre to prevent me from climbing into the windows! Bring on next year's panto!!!!
Jane
Coliseum Ambassador and Front of House Volunteer
PS: if by any chance any of out there are helping to knit the set for the 'Inspector Norse', would you so kind and knit an extra sweater for me? You can drop it off at the Coliseum Box Office! Thank you!
And until next time, stay warm, my dears! Brrrr...
Thursday, 17 January 2013
The wonderful world of Dickens
We are nearly at the end of week one of David Copperfield rehearsals – the first Coliseum production of the New Year.
While the building was being refurbished last year, we rehearsed at the Old Library which was a brilliant (and very spacious) place to work, nothing beats working together with the rest of the company. We’re back in the rehearsal studio at the Coliseum and it’s fantastic to have that creative process in the building.
Our time out of the building was a really interesting experience and we tried a great deal of new things but that didn’t hide the fact that the company was spread across the town and while that has its benefits (we did A LOT of walking) having the box office, creative team and administrative teams all together in one building is a really important quality of a producing theatre company.
We’re performing Alastair Cording’s vibrant adaptation which is a fast-paced version of Charles Dickens’s original novel. Alastair has squeezed the best bits of the original 700 page novel into an evening of theatre capturing the brilliance of Dickens’s famous story-telling.
Back to the David Copperfield rehearsals – the cast are getting to grips with the script. This particular adaptation is a tour de force for actors to work on. It’s a cast iron classic story by Charles Dickens and it also involves a lot of the cast doubling up on the different characters they play. The play is packed full of wonderful Dickensian people that you’ll love whether you’ve read the book or not; Uriah Heep, Peggotty, Steerforth and Mr Micawber.
This adaptation also involves an ingenious stripped down set. Much like the techniques we used for the small scale ALRA graduate production of Jane Eyre in September, this production uses props in creative ways in order to move quickly from one location to another as David Copperfield makes his way from London to Yarmouth (via Dover).
David Copperfield is the final opportunity for which you can take advantage of the Coliseum’s Season Ticket offer. You can buy tickets for David Copperfield, Alan Ayckbourn’s Sugar Daddies, John Godber’s Losing the Plot and 1940s musical Blonde Bombshells of 1943 and save up to £27 on full price tickets (concessions are available). If you’ve already bought your ticket for David Copperfield you can upgrade to a Season Ticket – just ring the Box Office on 0161 624 2829 before 23 February to book.
See you at the theatre.
Kevin Shaw
Artistic Director and Chief Executive.
While the building was being refurbished last year, we rehearsed at the Old Library which was a brilliant (and very spacious) place to work, nothing beats working together with the rest of the company. We’re back in the rehearsal studio at the Coliseum and it’s fantastic to have that creative process in the building.
Our time out of the building was a really interesting experience and we tried a great deal of new things but that didn’t hide the fact that the company was spread across the town and while that has its benefits (we did A LOT of walking) having the box office, creative team and administrative teams all together in one building is a really important quality of a producing theatre company.
We’re performing Alastair Cording’s vibrant adaptation which is a fast-paced version of Charles Dickens’s original novel. Alastair has squeezed the best bits of the original 700 page novel into an evening of theatre capturing the brilliance of Dickens’s famous story-telling.
Back to the David Copperfield rehearsals – the cast are getting to grips with the script. This particular adaptation is a tour de force for actors to work on. It’s a cast iron classic story by Charles Dickens and it also involves a lot of the cast doubling up on the different characters they play. The play is packed full of wonderful Dickensian people that you’ll love whether you’ve read the book or not; Uriah Heep, Peggotty, Steerforth and Mr Micawber.
This adaptation also involves an ingenious stripped down set. Much like the techniques we used for the small scale ALRA graduate production of Jane Eyre in September, this production uses props in creative ways in order to move quickly from one location to another as David Copperfield makes his way from London to Yarmouth (via Dover).
David Copperfield is the final opportunity for which you can take advantage of the Coliseum’s Season Ticket offer. You can buy tickets for David Copperfield, Alan Ayckbourn’s Sugar Daddies, John Godber’s Losing the Plot and 1940s musical Blonde Bombshells of 1943 and save up to £27 on full price tickets (concessions are available). If you’ve already bought your ticket for David Copperfield you can upgrade to a Season Ticket – just ring the Box Office on 0161 624 2829 before 23 February to book.
See you at the theatre.
Kevin Shaw
Artistic Director and Chief Executive.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Get writing!
Hello Readers!
How is everyone today? Hope you all are keeping warm in this weather. :-)
Today's blog is a reminder to everyone who is interested in becoming a professional playwriter that there is still some time left to send in your script. The deadline is 1.02.2013
First Break Writing Competition, read here in more detail:
http://coliseum.org.uk/index.php/Oldham/news_article/first_break_writing_competition
So, wheather you are 16 or 96, put the pen to paper and start scribbling! Remember the theme is 'Place'.
Good luck!
Damn, now I have convinced myself that I should do it!
As for the rest of us, hold on tight, summer will be here soon... just another 6 months or so!
Jane
Coliseum Ambassador and Front of House Volunteer
How is everyone today? Hope you all are keeping warm in this weather. :-)
Today's blog is a reminder to everyone who is interested in becoming a professional playwriter that there is still some time left to send in your script. The deadline is 1.02.2013
First Break Writing Competition, read here in more detail:
http://coliseum.org.uk/index.php/Oldham/news_article/first_break_writing_competition
So, wheather you are 16 or 96, put the pen to paper and start scribbling! Remember the theme is 'Place'.
Good luck!
Damn, now I have convinced myself that I should do it!
As for the rest of us, hold on tight, summer will be here soon... just another 6 months or so!
Jane
Coliseum Ambassador and Front of House Volunteer
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Ambassador Panto Review
Loads of excited children, family groups, grandparents, groups oldies, cubs and brownies flashing and spinning wands – Yes it’s panto time. OH YES IT IS!
What a great show!
An energetic cast, outrageous costumes, superb stage back drops, corny jokes, spectacular singing and dancing and plenty of audience participation. What more could you want?
Comfortable seating and an auditorium at reasonable temperature. The refurbished Coliseum scores top marks. A totally enjoyable evening out.
Well done everybody!!
Must book for Jack and the Beanstalk next year!
(and you can do so right here: https://oldhamcoliseum.ticketsolve.com/shows/873488043/events)
Tickets for Cinderella are still available until Saturday 12 January:
https://oldhamcoliseum.ticketsolve.com/shows/126520575/events
Chris Hook
Coliseum Ambassador
What a great show!
An energetic cast, outrageous costumes, superb stage back drops, corny jokes, spectacular singing and dancing and plenty of audience participation. What more could you want?
Comfortable seating and an auditorium at reasonable temperature. The refurbished Coliseum scores top marks. A totally enjoyable evening out.
Well done everybody!!
Must book for Jack and the Beanstalk next year!
(and you can do so right here: https://oldhamcoliseum.ticketsolve.com/shows/873488043/events)
Tickets for Cinderella are still available until Saturday 12 January:
https://oldhamcoliseum.ticketsolve.com/shows/126520575/events
Chris Hook
Coliseum Ambassador
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