Oldham Coliseum has been forced to take drastic measures after losing vital funding, announcing today that its entire Spring-Summer programme and its 2023 pantomime have been axed.
The beloved local theatre will cancel all its upcoming events and theatre shows, from Sunday 26 March onwards.
The news comes after the historic venue was dropped from Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from 1 April.
Oldham Coliseum said in a statement today that its board of trustees have been working hard to find a solution to the loss of funding, but has now had to take an ‘incredibly difficult decision’.
They added that ‘the current financial situation is not sustainable for the season as planned’.
Ticket-holders for cancelled shows, including their 2023/24 pantomime Sleeping Beauty, will be refunded automatically in the coming weeks.
The news has been met with dismay from the local community and those in the theatre world.
Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace said: “This was the news we’d been dreading. One of the north’s most important grassroots theatres, effectively killed off by the Arts Council withdrawing ALL funding. Remember… the Royal Opera House got £22 MILLION and still moaned about it. SAVE THIS THEATRE!”
Former MP Liz McInnes said: “This is tragic. @OldhamColiseum has been a part of Oldham life for literally as long as I can remember. I used to get taken to pantos there as a kid and grew up with a love of theatre. I do sincerely hope that funding is found – this is too important to just let it go.”
Theatre critic Mark Shenton posted: “What an ominous turn of events. @OldhamColiseum cancels all events after March 26, following the withdrawal of its @ace_national funding from April 2023. So ‘levelling up’ seems to mean losing a major theatre entirely.”
Someone else wrote: “Shocking that a theatre with such history and legacy must go dark. Hundreds of phenomenal actors, directors, writers and crew began their artistic journeys here. Stunned!!! I hope to see it rise again!”
The full statement from Oldham Coliseum:
Oldham Coliseum
“It is with great regret that Oldham Coliseum Theatre is cancelling all forthcoming events from Sunday 26 March 2023, including the Spring-Summer programme and the 2023-24 pantomime Sleeping Beauty.
“Following the news on 4 November 2022 that the Coliseum will no longer be part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from 1 April 2023, the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team have been working hard to find a solution to this reduction in funding.
“The theatre put the pantomime on sale in November and announced the Spring-Summer season in early December with the best possible intentions, while still exploring options that may have enabled the continuation of the programme. However, the current financial situation is not sustainable for the season as planned. We are working with Arts Council England and Oldham Council to honour agreements with artists and producing partners.
“All events at the Coliseum until 26 March will go ahead as planned. Ticket holders for all other events will be refunded over the coming weeks. If you have paid for tickets using a debit or credit card this will be refunded directly onto your card. If you have paid for tickets using cash the Box Office team will be in touch to arrange an alternate refund method. Any donations made to the theatre when booking tickets for cancelled events and Our Coliseum members whose memberships are due to expire after 26 March will also be refunded.
“It has been an incredibly difficult decision to cancel the programme of events and we understand the disappointment this will undoubtedly cause. The Coliseum asks audiences to be patient whilst staff work through each refund transaction manually.”
Featured image: Oldham Coliseum
Theatre
Iconic musical Annie is returning to the stage in Manchester next summer
Emily Sergeant
One of the most iconic musical productions of the 21st century will be heading out on a tour of the UK and Ireland next year.
And of course, an iconic musical will be taking to an iconic Manchester stage.
Renowned theatre producers Michael Harrison and David Ian are ‘delighted’ to announce that their smash-hit production of the musical Annie is being revived for 2026 and 2027, and will be embarking on a huge UK-wide tour, stopping off at some major cities in the process.
Unfamiliar with the musical Annie? Yet to see it on stage? Or haven’t been able to watch the beloved 1982 film of the same name? Let us fill you in.
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage – but her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks.
Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family.
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The smash hit West End production of ANNIE, the world’s favourite family musical, returns to Manchester for 2 weeks only.
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Based on the 1924 comic strip, Little Orphan Annie by Harold Grey – which, in turn, was inspired from the poem, Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley – Annie the musical originally debuted on Broadway in 1977 where it ran for nearly six years, before eventually spawning numerous productions in countless other countries, as well as national tours.
Over the last four decades, Annie the musical has won seven Tony Awards, including for Best Musical, and a wide variety of other accolades.
The songs ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life’ are among its most popular and well-known musical numbers.
Annie the musical will be taking to the Manchester Palace Theatre stage from Tuesday 9 – Saturday 20 June 2026, with the tour continuing right through to mid-March 2027, and even more locations yet to be announced.
Tickets for the show are officially now on sale, and you can get your hands on them here.
Featured Image – Matt Crockett (Supplied)
Theatre
‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions to take place inside shipping containers across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A pioneering production company is bringing immersive theatre inside shipping containers to Greater Manchester.
DARKFIELD has announced their first shows in Greater Manchester for seven years, and will present their three most critically-acclaimed experiences at iconic venues across the region as part of an ‘exciting’ collaboration.
Keen audiences will be able to head to The Lowry, Aviva Studios, and HOME this month to see theatre like they’ve never seen it before.
Renowned for their trademark shipping containers popping up across the UK and internationally, bringing mysterious and exciting experiences across the country, DARKFIELD will present SÉANCE, FLIGHT and ARCADE so crowds can find themselves immersed in the supernatural, boarding a new airline, or navigating a war torn world.
Fresh from sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, BFI London Film Festival, and an extended residency at Shoreditch Town Hall, ARCADE will arrive at The Lowry – which is the company’s newest production.
‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions inside shipping containers will be happening across Greater Manchester / Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic | Fiona Rita Blyth
Aviva Studios will welcome one of DARKFIELD’s most popular and critically-acclaimed experiences, FLIGHT.
Over 30 minutes in total darkness, FLIGHT explores the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities, and two possible outcomes to their journey.
And then over at HOME, the company’s first shipping container experience, SÉANCE, will be on show.
The interior of a 24ft container will be transformed into a Victorian séance room, and asks audiences to believe not only what is happening inside the container, but also in what might be conjured up into the room with them.
“We are delighted to be returning to Greater Manchester to present our shows in collaboration with three incredible venues,” commented DARKFIELD, ahead of their arrival in our region.
“We can’t wait to welcome audiences across the region to experience the strange worlds we’ve created.”
Daisy Jackson -
31st January 2023 
