one step forward for the Tameside Hippodrome

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 7:00am

Well after months and months of doing everything we could to do the save the Tameside Hippodrome which closed down at the begining of the year we were told that all hope had gone and the 1400 seater would be torn down in the next 6-8 weeks. Of course we were crushed but didnt stop. We contacted the people who list bulidings hoping they would step in, but we heard nothing,untill the 11th hour. They building has now been listed Grade 2 so it will be much harder to demolish.
There is still a lot of work to do to see if we can get the crappy Tameside council to put the money in to this building to reopen it, but whilst its still standing thats good enough for me.

Now attention also turns to stopping the plans to turn one of the most succesful theatres outside of London, the Manchester Palace Theatre from been turned in to an Opera House, something people in Manchester do not want but the council seem to be deaf to listening to that. A second proposal has now been submitted and looks like it could happen. Why they would want to turn one of the best loved theatres in to an Opera House is beyone me.

Bring on the fight!!!

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 8:01am

Well done on getting the Thameside Theatre listed and hope this ensures its future.

Turning the Manchester Palace into a Opera house sucks, like Opera in general sucks, I would not of thought there would be sufficient demand for a Opera House, especially as Manchester has one already.

As you work in the Manchester Palace already and if they turn this into Opera, can you not sue there arse off for stress?

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 10:06am

lolol well if it becomes and Opera House we all lose our jobs as the theatre will shut for a year or more as they spend a stupid amount of money on it to turn it in to the Opera House grrr.

And the people of Manchester dont want Opera, the theatre serves them perfectly for what they want

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 1:26pm

Remember that even with its grand name, 'Manchester Opera house', it is NOT an Opera House. Its facilities are far, far below that of the far, far superior Palace Theatre.
As the Palace stands today it is more than capable of holding grand opera and full size ballet productions, as indeed it does already, year in year out.

Also worth remembering is just because a building has the name 'Opera House' it does not mean it is a huge building capable of staging grand opera. There are many, many theatres around the UK and the world bearing the name 'Opera House' with some as small as 200 or 300 seats that can just about present plays!

Manchester Opera House

In its bingo days!


For Manchester to lose the magnificent Palace Theatre to opera will be crime punishable only by the sacking of the ridiculous council idiots that are pushing it forward.
The North West, indeed the whole of the North, is well fed by many opera and ballet productions in Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, The Lowry in Manchester and of course The Grand Theatre and Opera House in Leeds.

If it happens I am sure it will only be a short time before they realize the errors of their ways and The Palace gets returned to its lyric theatre status. If this happens, at least it will have had its facilities boosted by the Opera House saga.

The Palace Theatre Manchester




Leave Opera in Covent Garden (or Leeds - they both have stunning opera houses already!

Grand Theatre And Opera House Leeds.




BIG PS: Welsh National Opera are losing millions a year by moving from the 1000 seat New Theatre in Cardiff and making its home at the huge Millennium Centre.
Regrets all round there already!!!!


Updated On: 9/19/09 at 01:26 PM

[Jonwo]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 11:43am

Stupid question but surely the Lowry is more than capable of hosting Opera, the Palace Theatre must make money from the touring productions and surely they would lose money if they just had opera.

The Grand Theatre looks like a church although I imagine it probably once was a church.
Updated On: 9/21/09 at 11:43 AM

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 1:31pm

Of course not, its the style it was built in!!!!!
Victorian Gothic.


Updated On: 9/21/09 at 01:31 PM

[Scripps2]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 3:29pm

I was at the Leeds Grand earlier this year to see Opera North's productions of Of Thee I Sing and Let 'em Eat Cake. I have to say I was disappointed with the refurbishment - it looked a very half-baked job. They'd removed pannelling to reveal the "original Victorian tiles" but half of them were no longer there so it looked like a smile with loads of teeth missing.

My two aunts who are serious opera-goers weren't impressed either.

And turning the great Manchester Palace into an opera house would be ridiculous. Local councils are quite the most ridiculous of organisations: any compromise necessary to close any kind of a bad deal.