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Historic Ashton venue on Theatres at Risk register

A Tameside theatre has been named as 'at risk'.

Ashton's Grade II listed Tameside Hippodrome has been included on a list by the Theatres Trust which campaigns to preserve historic venues throughout the UK.

The Theatres at Risk Register puts venues under threat of closure or redevelopment in the spotlight and calls for community support to save them.

Five Greater Manchester theatres have been named as being 'at risk' of closure on as part of annual list, which campaigns for their revival.

This year’s list comprises 43 buildings, which all have strong architectural merit, cultural heritage or value to the local community as a performance venue.

Tameside Theatre was previously a cinema and has 1930s Art Deco features.

A spokesman for the Theatres Trust said: "Theatres can be at risk for a variety of reasons. This includes threat of closure or demolition, loss of funding, lack of maintenance, or neighbouring development. Any number of these can have an adverse effect on the venue and its ability to operate.

"The buildings may be currently in theatre use, in other uses, vacant or derelict. They can be theatres of any size and type, and may or may not be listed buildings.

"Each theatre on the Theatres at Risk Register is assigned a total score. We look at the immediacy and type of risk the theatre faces, the quality and significance of the building, whether this is theatrical or architectural, and its importance to its community."

The Hippodrome - which was built in 1904 has been given a risk factor of five.

The Theatres Trust describes the 1,200-seat venue as: "Ashton-under-Lyne’s only Grade II listed, purpose-built theatre.

"Its architectural significance illustrates the interwar fashion of adaption to cinema. It is a rare survival, retaining a wealth of Art Deco features from the 1930s re-fit, including the coving and plasterwork detail in the café and ground floor foyer.

"Recent research and careful measurement have revealed that the 1930s changes to the central portion of the façade were not as invasive as previously thought.

"The windows are, in fact, original to the 1904 building with the stained-glass design closely resembling an early design by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It is believed that the entire 1904 brick façade is intact underneath."

 

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