The stage is set for the return of live theatre in Romiley as The Forum Theatre reopens its doors following roof repairs to tackle RAAC Concrete at the venue.
The theatre abruptly closed in September following the decision by the DFE to close schools with similar structures, but the curtain will raise once again as the teen edition of “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” becomes the first show to be performed since the huge undertaking of re-enforcing the roof structure.
The repairs to the theatre are funded by Stockport Council, the landlords of the theatre and undertaken by Robertson Construction, with the first phase complete and all of the public areas now available for use.
The theatre is operated by Registered Charity NK Theatre Arts and Company Manager Darren Stannage said he can’t wait for the public to return.
“It has been an incredibly long road, but we are finally ready to welcome patrons back to The Forum Theatre. It was a complete shock to have to close the theatre last year and it has been such a complicated route to reopening, so we are so excited to be here.
The determination of everyone involved throughout the process to make the theatre safe again has just been immense and we are so grateful for the support that we have received. So many different partner agencies have come together to deliver a solution that gets such a vibrant local cultural asset back on its feet again. The year after Covid, the theatre was thriving, with over 60,000 visitors coming through our doors to see such a wide and varied programme of events, dozens of which performed by Stockport organisations who also lost their home when the Forum closed.
We are delighted that so many shows and events have now been rescheduled. So many local dance schools and performing arts organisations will be able to take to the stage once again and we also have tribute bands, cabaret nights and household names such as Shaun Ryder, Kerry Ellis and Aled Jones all performing here over the coming months.
It is fantastic news that our youth theatre members will be the first to take to the stage, they are so excited to perform this week and we cannot wait for all of their hard work to come to fruition at a time when things have been so hard for them, kept away from their home for so long, we are absolutely delighted for them.
“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” starts at The Forum Theatre on Thursday and runs until Saturday 22nd June.
A full schedule of all of the events coming soon to The Forum Theatre can be found by visiting the website www.theforumtheatre.co.uk