VENUE 063
Image by Helene Binet
IF FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BOLD, THEN MARLOWE THEATRE HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE. FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF UPGRADING OR RE-BUILDING, THE LATTER WAS THE BRAVE AND SELECTED OPTION. SARAH RUSHTON-READ DETAILS A TALE OF THEATRICAL ASPIRATION FROM CANTERBURY.
the expectations of the venues 10,000 faithful friends. Not only that they had to encourage public acceptance of a very modern building in a particularly historic part of Canterbury town centre. Gavin Green, Design Director for Charcoalbue explains some of the issues that drove the decision to demolish the old theatre and build the new. “Although many locals adored the old theatre, few from outside the area saw it as a desirable place to spend an evening. Sightlines were shocking, seating uncomfortable and in poor condition and technically it was in desperate need of an upgrade. This was a venue that did not have the capacity to accept many of the exciting new tours that were coming out of the West End. Even if it could have, it did not present companies with an economic argument to tour there. Primarily because of the small audience volume it offered.” The evolution of the Marlowe was therefore, on occasions, a little
turbulent. This wasn’t helped by a somewhat unpredictable economic climate. However as Janice McGuinness, Head of Culture and Enter- prise for Canterbury City Council says: “We conservatively believe that the Marlowe will deliver over £23 million to the local economy each year.”
A sum not to be sniffed at and one that perhaps made it easier for the community to accept the £17 million investment Canterbury City Council made to the project. Today the Marlowe Theatre can happily welcome the kind of tours the old theatre could only dream of organising a coach trip to see. Not only that it has an additional, 150-seat, protean studio space created for the local community to use for a plethora of artistic pursuits. For the client and the creative team the transformation of the Marlowe has proved an exciting and challenging journey. The project team
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