A six-figure upgrade is due for a theatre in Woodley despite its troubled recent history.
The Alan Cornish Theatre has been situated at Oakwood Centre in Woodley since 2013.
There has been a project since the start of this year to make upgrades to the theatre with new technology, an improved sound system and enhanced lighting for more than £100,000.
However, there are indications that the theatre is struggling, as it has only 25 per cent usage since Woodley Theatre group closed in December 2023.
Despite this, there was consensus that a six-figure revamp of the theatre would be positive at a Woodley Town Council meeting.
Matthew Filmore, deputy town clerk, said: “The space after Woodley Theatre’s demise 18 months ago was being utilised around 25 per cent of the time.
“So that space in this building is 75 per cent of the time not used at all.
“There are community groups that use that space, and it is well used by the people who use it, but even they feel that the technical capabilities are a bit outdated for those groups.
“But for us to be able to get to the point of utilising much more of that space and really optimising its use we have to make technical upgrades otherwise the space becomes unusable, and you either think of completely shutting it or or repurposing it for something else.
“But we have a fantastic theatre facility and therefore investment in it would seem to make sense.”
The viability of the project was debated.
Although supportive, councillor Keith Baker (Conservative, Coronation East) suggested the council should hold off on hiring a dedicated theatre manager for around £40,000 could be at risk of “twiddling their thumbs” without work if demand for the theatre is low.
An initial consultation process from the company Blue Horizon recommended that the project should go ahead.
However, cllr Mike Kennedy (Conservative, Bulmershe) wondered why councillors had not been directly engaged with earlier.
He said: “I’m disappointed that as a council we haven’t been involved in the early stages of discussion.
“I have to say that I don’t think a 100-seat theatre is viable.
“That’s my first concern. I would have loved to have had a smaller subcommittee of councillors working with the consultants to really thrash out some of these issues because I am actually concerned that the venue is too small.”
Cllr Baker expressed hopes the Alan Cornish Theatre could replicate the successes of the South Street Arts Centre in Reading.
He said: “I would dispute the initial statement about small theatres not working, because South Street is a 120 seater and it is incredibly successful.
“They have identified the market they go into, which tends to be the fringe of Broadway.
“They know exactly what they’re doing. Reading Borough Council which owns it, said they’re going to shut it. There was a massive kickback from residents, they reviewed what they were doing and identified the real market they were going for and did it.”
The upgrade to Alan Cornish Theatre would cost circa £130,000, a budget that was agreed in principle by councillors.
Cllr Juliet Anderson (Conservative, Coronation Central) said: “This is a really huge community asset that we’re not getting the most out of at the minute.
“This needs to be for the residents of Woodley, both young and old.
“There is a huge part of the community that could use this.”
Woodley councillors agreed to spend £8,925 on consultants Blue Horizon to move forward with the next stages of the project.
The decision was made at a strategy and resources committee meeting on April 22.
