Browse Sections

• Education
• Roadworks
• Shipman
• Special reports

Theatre petition hits 2,500 in day

Eve Dugdale
23/ 1/2008

A PETITION to save Tameside Hippodrome was signed by more than 2,500 in one day.

Last week we reported how Tameside Council had announced the popular venue was closing for the summer for refurbishment works.

A management company has yet to be found and staff and residents say they fear the Hippodrome may not reopen.

As well as the petition drawn up by stagehand Tony Wigglesworth, a Hippodrome Save It group set up on social networking website Facebook has more than 2,000 members.

"I want to save the Hippodrome," said Mr Wigglesworth.

"I’ve been involved with the theatre over 20 years and I’m very passionate about it.

"My personal view is once it closes on 1st April it’s not going to reopen. They’re saying they’re going to spend X amount of thousands on it but they’ve not even looked at it yet.

"It needs to have money spent on it but why can’t it be an ongoing thing? They could do the first 10 rows of seats this month and 10 the next or maybe even just close the circle off. It doesn’t have to close down.

"They are saying there are no shows booked in after March, but there was. They need 12 months to book a show in. If they’ve not found a management company yet how do they know they’ll find one by September?"

Mr Wigglesworth says the staff are keen to take over the running of the theatre on their own.

"Lease it to us. We know more about the theatre, most of us have been there many years."

He will be outside Peacocks in Ashton’s Ladysmith shopping centre on Saturday between 10.30am-2.30pm getting more names on the petition and people can also call in at the Star Inn pub on Oldham Road to sign their names.

An online petition has also been set up which can be accessed through Facebook or by visiting www.petitiononline.com . A petition is also available to sign at the Hippodrome box office, and you can leave your messages of support here on this page by clicking on 'Submit comments'