Former theatre set to become three-screen cinema
Clair Hall in Haywards Heath will be replaced with a cinema which will include a stage for live performances and a food and drink outlet, Mid Sussex District Council said.
Marion Wilcock, from the Save Clair Hall campaign, told BBC Radio Sussex residents would lose a "community asset".
Council leader Robert Eggleston said the local authority had "looked closely" at community proposals, but "no viable scheme came forward to replicate what is on that site now".
The future of Clair Hall, which served as a vaccination centre during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been under scrutiny since it was closed in 2020, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Mr Eggleston said the new cinema would be of "significant value to the town and to the district".
Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Council agrees theatre site should be redeveloped
Mid Sussex District Council
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
Staten Island summer theater rises again for first time since COVID: ‘Emotional tie for all of us'
The lights are back up in Staten Island. The borough's summer theater is operating again for the first time since COVID swept through the city half a decade ago — and the stars of the show are celebrating the return like a family reunion. Ten families and countless friend connections make up the cast of this year's 'Fiddler on the Roof' production — relying on their close-knit links to bring the little Russian town of Anatevka to life on the CUNY College of Staten Island stage. 11 Lee Tennenbaum and BJ High rehearsing for their roles as Golde and Tevye in a production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' at the College of Staten Island on July 24, 2025. Rachman 11 High performing in a scene with Claire Scala (Fiddler) at rehearsal. Rachman 'It was really important for me to bring the connections that I had growing up so that it felt like an emotional tie for all of us,' said Bronwyn Fugate, the show's director and choreographer, to The Post. 'Myself and many of the cast members are community theater kids that grew up with our families doing theater,' Fugate said. 'We were the generation that would sit and watch our parents create lighting design or be the directors or be on the stage. 'It was a no-brainer that these were the people that I wanted to be the inhabitants of Anatevka because that is kind of the heartbeat, the pulse of Anatevka.' More than 90 people auditioned for the inaugural community theater production show, with 46 people and an orchestra of 10 musicians making the final cut. 11 'Fiddler on the Roof' is the College of Staten Island's first summer theater production since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Rachman 11 The cast of 'Fiddler' rehearsing choreography for the show. Rachman The cast and crew have been in intense rehearsals five days a week since the end of May — and have their eyes set on a July 31 opening night. As grueling as the process has been, the players said they treat the experience like a homecoming and an excuse to spend time with one another — especially those who are sharing the stage with their own families. BJ High, 46, said he is honored to play the leading man, the impoverished milkman Tevye, with his wife and son at his side. 11 BJ High, a retired NYPD officer, is performing alongside his wife Christie and son Liam. Rachman 11 The cast of 'Fiddler on the Roof' listening to notes from director Bronwyn Fugate during a rehearsal. Rachman 'We run lines at homes, in the kitchen, wherever we are, in the pool, in bed, and the basement, any room, we can,' said High, a retired NYPD officer, adding that he met wife, Christie, on stage during a 1998 performance of 'The Most Happy Fella.' 'If the kids aren't bothering us too much, I grab a script,' he said. 'We took a trip recently, and while I was driving, I'd have the two of them acting out scenes with me. It was great.' 11 High singing a song as Tevye with Amelia Gordon (Tzietel), left, and Adam Simancas (Motel the tailor). Rachman The experience has been made even more special because of the message behind the play — which explores clinging to tradition during a time of political and social upheaval. ' 'The Fiddler' is about family, it's about tradition, and it's the perfect show for this cast with these people in this space, because it basically goes back to the ideas of the show,' said Peter Ascolese, 41, the play's costume designer. 'It's tradition, it's generations, it's being all together to do something special,' he said. 'Once I saw the cast list, I was like, how do I get involved?' 11 Katie Callahan, center poses with her daughter Claire, and father Ed during a rehearsal. Rachman 11 High in a scene with Katie Micha (Chava). Rachman This year's show is dedicated to the memory of Jennifer Straniere, who ran the performing arts program at the College of Staten Island for 18 years before passing away in June 2021. 'Fiddler on the Roof' was chosen as this year's performance because Straniere fondly referred to it as her favorite — and one she, her husband and newborn daughter performed in together in 1984. The father-daughter pair are back this summer to carry on Straniere's legacy on the stage, and this time with Strainiere's granddaughter in tow. 11 Judge Philip Staniere (Rabbi), left, poses with his daughter Amanda (Village Mama) and granddaughter Abby Hart (Bielke) during a rehearsal. Rachman 11 Katie Micha, right, poses with her aunt Lee Tennenbaum, second left, and cousins, Lucy Schnall, left, and Molly Schnall, second right, at a rehearsal for 'Fiddler on the Roof.' Rachman Katie Micha, 30, who plays Chava, the youngest daughter of Tevye, also is taking the stage this year with her aunt and two cousins, a mission they call a 'family affair.' 'It's one of my favorite musicals ever. Besides the music being fabulous … it's just a really fabulous show, and I am so excited to be doing this,' Micha said. 'It's really cool to see the whole Staten Island theater community come together. It's very special. We all have known each other forever. All of our families know each other.'
Business Insider
21 hours ago
- Business Insider
She made a promise to her dying husband. Now, Chizuko Kimura is the first female sushi chef to earn a Michelin star.
Before he died, sushi chef Shunei Kimura had one last wish for his wife. Sushi Shunei, his namesake Paris restaurant, had just earned a Michelin star three months prior. He wanted its legacy to live on. Chizuko Kimura had only begun cooking a year before, helping her husband in the kitchen as he underwent cancer treatment. But she honored his dying wish. Three years later, Kimura became the first woman to receive a Michelin star as a sushi chef. Kimura told Business Insider she "couldn't believe it" when she first heard the news. Now, she's sharing her story in the hopes it will show women that anything is possible. Love with a side of sushi Kimura grew up in Odawara, about an hour from Tokyo. The ocean was nearby, so fresh seafood was always on her family's dinner table. "I still remember the smell of soy sauce that always filled the kitchen, so familiar and comforting," Kimura said. "I wasn't cooking yet, but those memories stayed with me — in my nose and on my tongue." "I grew up in an environment where food had an important place," she added. "Even though I never imagined I would work in that field one day." Kimura moved to Paris to begin working as a travel agent. One fateful day in 2004, she went to a sushi restaurant and met her future husband, who was working at the counter. A year later, they were married. Shunei Kimura spent three decades working at sushi restaurants before he decided to open his own at the age of 63. "He ended up fulfilling his two dreams: to open an edomae sushi restaurant under his name in Paris, and to earn a Michelin star," Kimura said about her husband. A new career Sushi Shunei was scheduled to open in 2020, but was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kimura had been a tour guide but lost her job when much of the world went into lockdown, so she helped her husband open the restaurant. "He never said to me, 'Learn how to make sushi,'" Kimura recalled. "But he showed me everything, and I observed everything. I learned to prepare the fish, to cook the rice, to follow every detail." It was a crash course for a craft that typically takes a decade or more to perfect. But Kimura's husband had been diagnosed with liver cancer in 2015 and was getting sicker. "Normally, it takes many years to become a sushi chef, but I had to do it because Shunei couldn't use his hands sometimes," Kimura said. "Every day by his side was a learning experience. Even while sick, he never stopped teaching." Sushi Shunei opened on June 9, 2021, on Montmartre's hill in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Nine months later, the traditional sushiya received its first Michelin star in the 2022 Michelin Guide. "He never complained, and no customer ever knew he was sick," Kimura said. "He received that star at the age of 65, three months before his passing." One last promise Kimura told BI that before her husband died, he asked her to keep his legacy alive with the restaurant. "He said to me, 'Could you keep this restaurant forever?'" Kimura recalled. "I have to continue. It's my duty." She even kept the restaurant open on the day he died. "I continued, because I knew that's what he wanted," Kimura said. "It wasn't a matter of strength. It was for him." However, it wasn't an easy transition, and Sushi Shunei lost its Michelin star in 2023. "It was a shock. I felt as if I had lost Shunei a second time," Kimura said. "I thought there might be no chance of getting the star back, but I didn't give up." "I turned that pain into obsession," she added. "I had to get it back. Not for me — for him." A star is born Kimura hired sushi chef Takeshi Morooka to help as she continued to hone her skills, even training at Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan. "Every morning, I got up to work. I continued day after day, without pause, I never stopped," Kimura said. "I told myself, 'I must give it my all. I must go all the way.' There was no alternative." "The customers were a great support," she added. "Some came several times just to encourage me. They told me they believed in me. Those words gave me courage." All that hard work paid off. When the 2025 Michelin Guide came out in March, the star was next to Sushi Shunei's name once again. Kimura was now not only a Michelin-starred chef but also the first female sushi chef in the world to earn such a distinction. "I thought of him, of Shunei," Kimura said. "I felt, deep inside, that I had not betrayed his memory. For me, this is not a new star — it's Shunei's star that I managed to win back. I only continued what we had started together." Kimura is committed to keeping that star next to Sushi Shunei's name. She hopes it will inspire women and anyone who has been told "that it was too late, or impossible." "Talent has no gender — only work and courage," Kimura said. "Maybe it seemed unthinkable that at age 50, I would begin a career as a sushi chef without ever having cooked before. But what Shunei passed on to me is faith in work and in determination." "If you hold on, if you believe in what you're doing, anything becomes possible," she added. "That is the greatest lesson."
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Who is Robert Shinn, ‘TikTok cult' leader whose home was raided in federal sex-trafficking probe?
Investigators from at least four federal agencies raided a California home Friday linked to mysterious 'TikTok' cult Pastor Robert Shinn, the founder of a so-called talent agency that allegedly exploited amateur dancers with promises of TikTok stardom. A handful of people were led away from the home — located in Los Angeles' Tujunga neighborhood — in handcuffs, after FBI, IRS, US Postal Service and Labor Department agents swooped in on the residence. However, it was unclear if Shinn, 87, who has been likened to a cult leader, was among them. Advertisement So, who exactly is Shinn? In 1994, he founded the Shekinah Church, a Christian congregation recently profiled in Netflix's documentary series 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult' that initially served as a house of worship for Korean Americans in LA. Shinn also owns 7M Films and is associated with several other California businesses, including Shinn Entertainment Corp., IP Random Film, IHD Studio and Glory Bag Records. Advertisement 3 Pastor Robert Shinn has multiple companies and may be worth $15 million. KTLA 5 He shares ownership of the home that was raided Friday with multiple people. A self-proclaimed 'man of God,' Shinn is alleged to have lured dancers to sign with his talent agency, 7M Films. He allegedly assured them he could turn them into TikTok sensations. Instead, Shinn allegedly financially and physically manipulated and abused the dancers, encouraging some of them to disown their families. Advertisement Other dancers have accused Shinn of sexual assault. The church allegedly encouraged members to surrender their time and money in support of its mission to save one billion souls from damnation. 3 It was unclear if Shinn was arrested during Friday's raid. KTLA 5 The warrants served at the house Friday involved allegations of sex trafficking, money laundering, mail fraud, tax evasion and COVID-19-related fraud, according to the Los Angeles Times. Advertisement Still others were forced to join the Shekinah Church and later served as recruiters for 7M. Shinn, who is married to Hannah Shinn, has previously denied claims that the Shenikah Church and 7M are affiliated, TV Insider reported. The Canadian-born Shinn is estimated to be worth $15 million. One of his children, singer-songwriter Kloë Shinn, defected from the church in 2022 with her husband Daniel Joseph, according to Cosmo, which added that he also has two sons, Conrad and Isaiah. Her music has appeared on reality shows like 'Queer Eye' and 'The Real Housewives' as well as the movie 'Random Encounters,' a 2013 film starring Meghan Markle — that was produced by her father. 3 Women have accused Shinn of physical and sexual assault. KTLA 5 Several former dancers and ex-members of the Shekinah Church teamed up to sue Shinn in 2022. The lawsuit alleges exploitation and labor law violations by the church and Shinn, and remains active. In 2009, a woman named Lydia Chung sued Shinn, alleging he'd forced her to turn over $3.8 million in assets through 'undue influence, mind control, coercive persuasion, oppression and other intimidating tactics,' according to the lawsuit. Advertisement She also said the church made her work six days a week, but never paid her. A judge ultimately ruled against her. In 2011, Jung Hee Lee, a former Shekinah member, sued Shinn for allegedly forcing her to work full-time for only a $30 weekly stipend. She won that case, and Shinn was ordered to pay her the compensation she should've received. Shinn himself filed a defamation lawsuit against several former church members after they referred to the organization as a cult, according to CNN.
