Thank you for your balanced reporting on these very sad events, Mollie. The Coliseum was my first experience of going to the theatre as a child, when Kenneth Alan Taylor was at the helm. I went to the panto, along with everyone else in the borough, but I also saw plays, which felt very grown up, and wasn't as intimidating as a trip to the theatres in Manchester. As an archivist, I hope that not everything is being shredded and wiped, only the things that legally need to be. Theatre historians will need access to records about this period in the theatre's existence, to understand what happened.
Glad you enjoyed, Jan - and yes that's a really lovely point, I should have asked Chris about whether they'd hold on to things like theatre programmes. I expect they will - there are so many good memories there.
Miss Horniman (of the tea family), berated Manchester City Council for failing to fund the Gaiety Theatre she had founded. Cities need theatres, like bread needs yeast. Oldham Council will eventually want to promote Oldham as a creative hotbed. Then they'll realise what they lost. A bit like Brexit.
Thank you, Mollie. You bought a tear to my eye and, apart from one disastrous trip whe I missed ny turn and found myself in Oldham rather than at Manchester Uni, I've ever been to Oldham.
It seems plain that Oldham Council are quite happy for the Coliseum to close so they can get on with their "arts hub" what ever that is... Reminds of me of what happened when the Library Theatre closed , which had a loyal following amongst Mancunians for its productions of Brecht, Ayckbourn and much else. It;'s supposed replacement at Home lost most of that audience with its high-art productions which we don't bother with
Thank you for your balanced reporting on these very sad events, Mollie. The Coliseum was my first experience of going to the theatre as a child, when Kenneth Alan Taylor was at the helm. I went to the panto, along with everyone else in the borough, but I also saw plays, which felt very grown up, and wasn't as intimidating as a trip to the theatres in Manchester. As an archivist, I hope that not everything is being shredded and wiped, only the things that legally need to be. Theatre historians will need access to records about this period in the theatre's existence, to understand what happened.
Glad you enjoyed, Jan - and yes that's a really lovely point, I should have asked Chris about whether they'd hold on to things like theatre programmes. I expect they will - there are so many good memories there.
Great article. Sad story tho.
Thanks Ian!
Miss Horniman (of the tea family), berated Manchester City Council for failing to fund the Gaiety Theatre she had founded. Cities need theatres, like bread needs yeast. Oldham Council will eventually want to promote Oldham as a creative hotbed. Then they'll realise what they lost. A bit like Brexit.
Thank you, Mollie. You bought a tear to my eye and, apart from one disastrous trip whe I missed ny turn and found myself in Oldham rather than at Manchester Uni, I've ever been to Oldham.
Thank you for your kind words, Tony, glad you enjoyed the piece.
It seems plain that Oldham Council are quite happy for the Coliseum to close so they can get on with their "arts hub" what ever that is... Reminds of me of what happened when the Library Theatre closed , which had a loyal following amongst Mancunians for its productions of Brecht, Ayckbourn and much else. It;'s supposed replacement at Home lost most of that audience with its high-art productions which we don't bother with
I think 'Kenneth James' is better known as Kenneth Alan Taylor.
Thanks for the correction Chris -- this has now been amended!