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HUNDREDS of people packed a meeting on Tuesday night to save a historic northern theatre facing closure after withdrawal of government funding.
The Coliseum Theatre at Oldham in Greater Manchester was founded in 1885 and is one of England’s oldest theatres.
The 500-seat theatre is seen as the birthplace of pantomime and has featured performers such as Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel.
But the Arts Council of England has axed a £1.8 million subsidy as part of its nationwide spending review and the theatre is to close on March 31.
Speakers included actor and Morning Star ambassador Maxine Peake, who said: “It is about community, it’s what this theatre means to Oldham.
“And it’s not just that they are great at training actors, but it’s about what spaces like this give to the audiences that come here.”
Oldham Council has pledged to build a new theatre by 2026, but 70 people at the Coliseum face redundancy.
At the end of the meeting Ms Peake led chants of “Hands Off Oldham.”
The meeting, organised by performers’ union Equity, was followed by presentation of a petition yesterday at the Arts Council’s offices in Manchester.
