Harlequin Theatre and wider culture in Redhill to receive £10m
Funding has been earmarked for a Surrey theatre which was shut due to unstable concrete in its building.Redhill's Harlequin Theatre closed in September 2023 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered. On Thursday evening, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council agreed to allocate up to £10m for the theatre and "cultural offerings" in the borough.Council leader Richard Biggs said: "Whatever we do, we are rebuilding it. It's a rebuilding process that we've got to go through."
The council has repeatedly insisted that it is keen to continue providing arts in Redhill.Current projections indicate the theatre, which will require around £10m worth of remediation works, could take up to five years to reopen.In light of this, the executive also agreed to receive a further report in June on the feasibility of a circa 200-seater performance venue in the town.This would potentially provide an option while the Harlequin Theatre is closed.
'Nowhere to go'
Five options remain open for further review, including the part time use of Regent Hall in Horley Community Centre and a studio-style space in the Belfry or the Rise.Councillor Biggs added: "My personal view is if we can make it bigger, better, stronger and still keep to the timelines…and costs that we're aiming for."Chris Waite, chairman of the Harlequin Support Group (HSG), says the theatre's continued closure has had a "massive impact" on both performers and visitors alike."I think people are a little bereft," he said."Currently they have nowhere else to go in the borough to do what they were doing before at the Harlequin."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 days ago
- BBC News
Frustration as Sands Centre and Forum in Cumbria remain closed
Theatre companies have expressed frustration that two major venues are still closed after the discovery of asbestos and crumbling concrete. The auditorium in the Sands Centre, Carlisle, will be shut until next year and The Forum in Barrow is not due to reopen for two director David McNeill said there was "something fundamentally wrong" with the time being taken to deal with the Council, which owns the Sands Centre, said it was a difficult decision to postpone more productions, while the Forum, owned by Westmorland and Furness council, previously said the theatre had to remain closed while work was carried out to the Market Hall next door. It was announced on Tuesday the auditorium in the Sands Centre, Carlisle, would not reopen until next year while the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in the roof was removal of approximately 200 tonnes of Raac got under way last year after it was discovered in September January's Storm Éowyn hit a temporary canopy and caused delays to the The Forum in Barrow is not due to reopen for two years after being closed suddenly in July when asbestos was discovered. 'We've robbed them' Cumberland Council leader Mark Fryer told BBC Radio Cumbria postponing more shows was a "really, really tough decision" but necessary."I mean, a really difficult decision to take but obviously with the Raac concrete problem we've got about 200 tonnes of concrete to take out of the roof and obviously in January we had the storm which has seen the whole roof lift off," he Mr McNeill, from StagedRight Productions, said this was the third year the Carlisle company's shows have had to move to smaller venues due to the ongoing work at the Sands Centre."Young people or old people who want to perform, basically we've robbed them of three years of professional training," Mr McNeill said."There's something fundamentally wrong here that we're three years down the line and we're no further to having an arts venue back in Cumbria." In Barrow, The Forum initially announced the theatre would be shut for six months while the asbestos was the closure was extended by two years while regeneration work was carried out on the adjoining Market theatre said the next phase of work to the hall involved heavy machinery which could lead to areas of safely contained asbestos being disturbed in both Parkinson, who runs KS Musicals in the town, said the extended closure had been "very disappointing" and had resulted in reduced profits due to her shows having to be staged in smaller venues."I completely understand why it's staying closed, it's just the manner that it's been dealt with hasn't been the best," she said."It does feel like the work in the market has taken priority over the work that needs to be done at The Forum." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Scottish Sun
06-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
American Pie star admits snorting cocaine out of stranger's TRASH at 4am at depths of drug addiction
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JASON Biggs has revealed he retrieved a bag of cocaine from the trash THREE times in one night in his lowest moment battling addiction. The American Pie star said he tried to get rid of it multiple times at 4am - initially chucking it in his own kitchen trash before taking it out to do some more. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Jason Biggs has been sober for seven years Credit: Getty 4 American Pie star Jason shared his lowest moments during his addiction battle 4 American Pie is one of the most popular teen flicks of all time, and catapulted Jason to international stardom He then threw the rest into an outdoor bin, but later climbed into the bin to retrieve the drugs. He finally drove to a public trash can on Sunset Boulevard but later drove back and found it again. Biggs explained his wife, actress and author Jenny Mollen, was asleep upstairs completely unaware of what was happening. In a raw interview on Arielle Lorre's The Well podcast, the 47-year-old actor recounted moments that brought him dangerously close to rock bottom. 'I lived in the gray area, but I have 'snorting dust off the floor' stories or similar to that,' Biggs said. 'One of my craziest stories was I was doing cocaine by myself in my house, and I did what I said was 'the last line'.' 'Within 15 minutes, as soon as my last bump is wearing off, what am I doing?' he said. 'I go into my trash, and I take it out and I do a line.' He then attempted a more drastic step but again, the urge took over. 'Before I took the Ambien, I was like, 'One more,'' he recalled. Actress Jasmine Mooney stars in 2009's American Pie Presents The Book Of Love 'I went outside and I climbed into the trash bin and got the bag of coke and went upstairs and did another line. I was like, 'What the f–k am I doing? This is absolutely insane.'' Determined to stop, Biggs got in his car while high and threw the cocaine into a coffee cup with leftover coffee inside, then placed it in a public trash can. Still, the pull of the drug was stronger than him. 'When my last bump wore off, I drove back to the trash can and retrieved the drugs,' he said. 4 Jason shares two kids with his wife Jenny Mollen Credit: Getty 'I could have easily opened the baggie and dumped it down the toilet, but I didn't. That's too final. 'I knew I was going to finish that bag the moment I got it, but I kept playing this game with myself. That was very close to rock bottom.' Biggs, who shares two sons, Sid, 11, and Lazlo, 7, with Mollen, described how his addiction had taken over every part of his daily life. 'For me, it was the obsession over it,' he said. 'It was wake up and immediately think, 'How am I going to get my first line?'… It was exhausting and I was sort of consumed mentally.' Now more than seven years sober, Biggs says 'There is a freedom that comes with not having to do those things anymore.' In 2018, the Orange Is the New Black actor celebrated one year of sobriety with an emotional Instagram post, writing: 'I first tried to get sober over 5 years ago, when the weight of my obsession with booze and drugs became too heavy for me to handle. 'Turns out this s**t is hard. 'After some fits and starts, I've managed to put together one year of sobriety. I'm as proud of it as anything in my life. If you're struggling, know there's help. Don't be ashamed. We can do this.' Biggs has since reflected on the effort it took to conceal it his addiction. 'I'm going to therapy and 'working on things,' but meanwhile I'm leaving therapy, having just had a good session, and I'm going to the liquor store and buying a fifth of vodka, drinking it and then driving home,' he said on a March 2024 episode of All the Fails, hosted by his wife. 'I knew how to get wasted enough to where I took myself out of the life equation, took myself out of the present, didn't have to connect in a way that made me feel things,' he added. 'I had it figured out to a T. To not get too drunk where I couldn't have a conversation with you. 'I was replacing those bottles in the bar all the time.' RISE TO FAME After his American Pie role as the angsty teen who tried to masturbate with an apple pie, Jason appeared in several romcoms. He had a starring role in Boys and Girls, Saving Silverman, Wedding Daze and All at Once. His most notable role outside 1999's American Pie, however, was in hit series Orange is the New Black as journalist Larry Bloom. Earlier on, between 2012 and 2014 he received backlash for misguided jokes on social media, where he appeared to make fun of the doomed Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 and mocked the death of The Bachelorette contestant Eric Hill. He later apologised for the tweet about the tragic aircraft. Jason was linked to his co-star Tara Reid in 2000, but has been married to actress Jenny Mollen since 2008.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- BBC News
Roof replacement works on Peterborough's Key Theatre set to begin
Work to replace a theatre roof at risk of collapse due to it being built with a cheap concrete that crumbles is due to start on will be put up at the Key Theatre in Peterborough, with full renovations taking place after The Searchers & Hollies Experience show on 1 City Council, which owns the building, has allocated £2.19m for the works. The first show following re-opening is due to be 'An Evening Without Kate Bush' on 9 Chalkboard Cafe and Kindred Drama located in the building are due to remain open throughout the work. Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, known as Raac, was found in the auditorium roof in 2023. A temporary roof structure costing £192,000 was installed so events could continue while a permanent solution was Jamil, Labour deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and corporate governance at the council, said: "I am delighted that work is starting on this vital project, which will ensure that this much-loved theatre can continue to operate."As with any major scheme, this will result in some disruption - in this case a short closure of the venue. However, once completed, it will ensure that the theatre can continue to provide a vibrant cultural offering for Peterborough residents." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
