Barring an 11th hour intervention, Oldham Coliseum Theatre will close at the end of next month.
In January, the 136-year-old venue warned that it would be ‘going dark’ after March 26, cancelling all forthcoming events from the date. Now it has confirmed it is entering into a 30-day consultation period with all its staff and will close March 31.
The Coliseum heard last November that it had been dropped from Arts Council England’s National Portfolio and since then the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team have been working to find a solution.
Now they concede the current financial situation is not sustainable for the running of a full-time theatre.
“It is with great regret therefore that we announce that we have entered into a consultation period with all staff and it is proposed that Oldham Coliseum Theatre will close its doors on Friday 31 March 2023.”
The Coliseum is working with ACE and Oldham Council to ensure a smooth transition period for the company, including funding to enable support for its workforce and honouring commitments to artistes.
The Coliseum has been at the heart of theatre in Oldham, with a highly regarded history in the industry dating back to Oldham Rep which launched the careers of many famous faces. Many of the Coliseum’s staff have lived in Oldham all their lives and worked with the company for over a decade. They are now the priority for the company.
The Coliseum had a particularly strong pantomime tradition, winning several awards for its annual stagings. The venue seats more than 500 theatregoers and also has a 50-seat Studio space.
All events until March 26 will go ahead as planned. Ticket-holders for all other events will be refunded in coming weeks. Any donations made to the theatre when booking tickets for cancelled events, and Our Coliseum members whose memberships are due to expire after March 26, will also be refunded.
The venue thanks its audiences, participants, sponsors, partners, funders, patrons, industry colleagues and friends for their support over many years.