image for illustration – Theatres Trust
Theatres Trust has published its annual register of theatres under threat of permanent closure, redevelopment, or demolition across the UK, including five council-owned theatres added to the list as pressures on local authority budgets hit home.
Theatres Trust writes:
This year’s Theatres at Risk Register consists of 43 theatres, which all have strong architectural merit, cultural heritage or value to the local community as performance venues. See the full Theatres at Risk Register 2025. We’ve added five more theatres to the list, all local authority owned, mid to small scale venues located outside of major cities. One theatre, Hyde Theatre Royal, has been removed as the building is no longer at risk. See the complete Theatres at Risk Register 2025 at a glance. Now in its 19th year, the Theatres at Risk Register calls the public’s attention to these important buildings, their challenges, and the significant cultural opportunities they can bring to local communities. Since the list began in 2006, more than 80 theatres have been restored, revived, or had a suitable replacement built.
Theatres added to the Theatres at Risk Register 2025
Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre and Theatre and Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock are both at risk due to pressures on local authority budgets, leading to councils seeking savings by closing their theatres, cuts in subsidy, or a lack of ability to pay for crucial maintenance and repair work. The other three new additions, The Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh, The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema in Redhill, and Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre are all theatres that have been closed for more than a year due to the presence of the crumbling material Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). The Brunton Theatre and Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre have been recommended for demolition due to the high costs of repairs, and a decision on the future of The Harlequin is imminent.
Theatre Royal Hyde has been removed from the 2025 Theatres at Risk Register as, although it has not returned to theatrical use, it is being maintained and used by its current owners so the threat of harm to the building has been greatly reduced. There has been steady progress with other theatres on the register, in particular at Morecambe Winter Gardens where the capital project has advanced enough for its ‘Risk Factor’ sector to be lowered. There have also been positive signs at other theatres that Theatres Trust is giving increased support to through its Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities programme of grants, training and expert advice, including Burnley Empire and Leith Theatre.
