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Betrayed!This was the heading of an email from John Stevens, Chairman of the Friends at the Secombe Theatre (better known as FAST): The people of Sutton have been betrayed by their council and once again are faced with the closure of our theatre - The Secombe Theatre named after the late Sir Harry Secombe who used to live in Cheam Road. More than twenty years ago we faced the same almost insurmountable problem but Sutton's Theatrical Community fought and campaigned for years for our very own theatre. People sponsored seats and bought bricks and more besides to help to turn the Christian Science Church building into the Secombe Theatre that we know and love today. This decision by the Council to close it was taken last March and how do we hear about it? By Public consultation? By the management group SPAN (Sutton Performing Arts Network) having the courtesy to contact all the users of the theatre? No! - they inform the newspapers. Amateur Theatre in this area presents shows to rival any West End production when it comes to talent. We do not have to rely on expensive spectacular effects to create a good show but we must have a theatre. All the societies that use the Theatre are banding together to do everything in their power to prevent this closure. If you have any thoughts, ideas, opinions, money raising ideas, whatever, do please let us know. There is to be a meeting on 9th October, where representatives of the Theatrical Societies will meet the Council, SPAN and the Arts Council. The people of Sutton have been given just four months notice that their theatre is to close on 31st January 2003 - despite the fact that amateur theatre groups have booked the theatre up to two years in advance!!!! They have nowhere else in the borough to put on big-scale productions - various councils have pulled down all the decent Public Halls. The money for the Secombe Theatre was raised by the people of Sutton- the Council put nothing into it at all. Please write to the Council - London Borough of Sutton, Sutton, Surrey Write to the newspapers - The Advertiser, The Guardian, Make a fuss and let everyone know how much Sutton needs its theatre! Email wallingtonop@aol.com and let us have your thoughts and support.
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