Leicester's flagship theatre Curve to close down for series of repair works
Leicester's flagship £61 million theatre is to be closed for up to six weeks this summer for maintenance and improvement work to be carried out.
Bosses at Curve, in Rutland Street, have decided to take a summer break for the first time since it opened in November 2008.
-
Curve Theatre, in Leicester
Acting chief executive Pat Weller said the building would be shut to the public from Monday until the beginning of September.
The floor surface will be relaid because of "wear and tear", the electrics will be checked and improvements made to the cafe and bar areas.
Mrs Weller, who will run the theatre until March when a permanent chief executive will take over, said: "All large theatres have these breaks between their seasons normally.
"Curve has not had that so far because it's a new building.
"It's a normal thing to do for a large theatre. We'll do it this year and it will probably happen next year too.
"We'll be using the time to do all the normal maintenance.
"When we re-open in September, customers will see a cleaner, brighter theatre."
Mrs Weller said no major changes were planned to the bar and cafe but that there would be "sharpening up of areas that need it".
She said she did not have exact figures for the cost of the work but said it would come from existing maintenance budgets.
Mrs Weller added: "Hopefully, people will appreciate this. Over the years, buildings like this do get run down and people would quite rightly become concerned if we didn't do anything.
"More than 100,000 people a year visit Curve. That's a lot of people, and having them come through naturally has an impact on the facilities. Toilets break, the flooring gets worn.
"We need to tart it up a bit."
This season ends with the final performance of The Snow Queen on Saturday. The building will be used by three theatre companies for rehearsals during the closure.
An alternative box office will open at Highcross Leicester for people wanting to book tickets for the new season, which includes the Christmas production of The King and I.
A trustee of the Leicester Theatre Trust, which runs Curve, who did not want to be named, said: "The closure over the summer is not something we've done before and is very much a deliberate decision by the new chief executive. She suggested it and we agreed to it.
"There's generally an acceptance that the theatres are excellent but the social spaces, like the bar and cafe, need to be improved."
23 Comments
View all
by russ, mountsorrel
Thursday, July 08 2010, 11:22PM
“What is it about some people in this city?
They whinge when theres nothing and they blub when provided with something. I would think most of the whiners have never set foot inside the curve and as for keeping the Haymarket!!?? Its miserable souls like these that have held this city back for so long. The Curve is a wonderful family venue that has put on some fantastic productions and along with the new Phoenix has enhanced the cities arts scene. Leicester has changed completely for the better over the last 20 years and long may it continue. By the way Steve, I like what you did there - carpet, gripping!”
by Karen, City Centre
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 11:18PM
“needs to close for 6 weeks for refubishment after on 100,000 people going through the doors, how many other businesses have much higher numbers than that but they don't close for 6 weeks??? Refurbishment and Repairs need to be completed but a well run business does it as it goes along??”
by Skeptical, Leicester
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 8:31PM
“The money for repairs could easily come from the paycheques of those normally employed at Curve in the months the theatre will be closed, making their jobs seasonal and redundant. They run a right ship at Curve, but I have to say it's cost was ill considered and supporters don't seem to have much room for reasonable concern over the return for the investment...”
by Cathy, Leicester
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 6:51PM
“What the Curve wants, the Curve gets.
We're in the process of massive Budgets cuts and 'The Curve' are getting funding for cosmetic (non essential) refurbishment.
I'll sleep so much better tonight knowing that even though front line services are being cut and countless people are facing redundancy, the curve will still look pretty.”
by Steve Cattell, Hougham
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 5:46PM
“I presume that if it has to close after 2 years because of wear on the flooring, the care in the community scheme that designed it and purchased everything didn't assume that people would actually be walking on the floor then”
by john, Leicester
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 4:07PM
“Should have kept the Haymarket ???”
by Ross, Leicester
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 2:58PM
“"Again we see the problem of finance: 'no exact figures for the cost of the work'. How can they balance loss of income and costs against potential benefits? Where's the business plan? What if it turns out to be expensive?"
Where is this coming from???
It says that all repairs will come from existing maintenance budgets in the story? Can people not read?”
by Ross, Leicester
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 2:56PM
“Where in the report does it say that there are structural repairs? Cosmetic and electrical, but not structural. As they say, all theatres do this, and it's good business practice to refurb areas that so many people pass through.”
by martin, le3
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 2:51PM
“Michael, Market Harborough - try Google?
Unless are you a teenager trying to affect nonchalance? In which case stick your your Nintendo.”
by Michael, Market Harborough
Wednesday, July 07 2010, 2:36PM
“Would someone please tell me what and where this Curve is.”