Fears over future of theatre

The Marina Theatre in Lowestoft

16 November 2009

Calls have been made for a council-run theatre to be moved into the hands of a trust to help secure its future.

Fears have been raised that the final curtain could be coming down on Lowestoft's Marina Theatre after cutbacks have forced management to reduce the line-up for the coming year.

With no New Year's Eve concert, no ballet, no opera, no musicals and no ice show planned for the months ahead, the Friends of the Marina Theatre have said that the venue should be run by a trust rather than current owners, Waveney District Council.

The theatre's new line-up lists just 16 events between January next year and the end of March, which during the same period last year, the likes of Billy Ocean, the Chinese State Circus, Errol Brown and opera singer Hayley Westenra all appeared on stage in Lowestoft.

Len Jacklin, from the Friends of the Marina Theatre, said: “It is very short sighted to cut short term expenditure at the expense of long term advantage. This all rather begs the question as to whether the Marina should be run by Waveney.

“A solution could be found by the council standing back and allowing the management which they employ to do the job to get on and manage.

“A better alternative is to relinquish the responsibility and pass the Marina over to some form of a theatre trust, which has been done most successfully in other towns and cities.”

David Gallagher, the council's head of services, said: “The council is fully supportive of providing a long term sustainable service at the Marina and although a decision has not been made the council has not ruled out options for alternative management of any of its leisure facilities, including the theatre.”