A LIST of theatres under threat has included Chester’s Gateway as one of those at a high risk of closing for good.
The latest Theatre Buildings at Risk Register listed the Gateway, whose main theatre closed in March, 2007, among 39 theatres in the UK deemed at a high risk of shutting for good.
The Hamilton Place venue is still running in the smaller 100-seat Studio Theatre, which opened in 1998, but the main arena, with 440 seats, was shut by Chester City Council.
It was closed to pave the way for a redevelopment on the site behind the Forum shopping centre and was supposed to be replaced with a new theatre within the postponed Northgate development.
The purpose of the list, compiled by the Theatres Trust, is to provide a watch list of theatres under threat from a number of risks and enable the Trust to focus attention on those most immediately at risk.
The Theatres Trust said: “Despite its restrictions for expansion and dated appearance, this is a well-designed theatre and is the City’s only cultural venue. It is important to retain the building while plans have stalled, and its use should be encouraged.”
