Letter: Time to face costly reality of saving theatre

Over a decade a go, I was on a working party looking at how to overcome the problem of a large cine/theatre cheaply built with no vehicle access for scenery or with a strong roof to support all the paraphernalia of sound or light and scenery equipment demanded by modern shows.

There was a second problem of steep decline in numbers to come by coach from the West Riding and beyond to a theatre when new venues were built nearer home.

And there was a third snag - a decline in comics, shows and audiences at seaside venues.

Entertainers could earn more for one TV show than slogging away at the seaside.

But people love to remember the good old days and are often blind to harsh economic reality, so they feel the Futurist must be saved - because they love it.

It needs a 20-week season of 12 packed houses to pay an economic rent.

It then needs 500 well wishers to give £1,000 a year for 10 years to pay rates, staff, repairs, electrics and so on.

It’s time to stop dreaming dreams and hoping someone else will pay for your pleasure.

It is time to seek out cost and support, if sound, a scheme which avoids the tacky or the yucky and has a touch of class - unless the public wish is to be relentlessly downmarket, which Heaven forbid.

Tom Pindar

Past chairman,

Renaissance Initiative

Scarborough