Final Curtain Call? - Rodney Hardcastle

In 2022, my first book, ‘Fire! Fire! The Theatre’s on Fire’, was published. It focused on the devastating effect of theatres impacted by fire. It was nominated for ‘The STR Theatre Book Prize 2022’ which is awarded each year by the Society for Theatre Research. I was delighted with the compliments I received from the many people who bought my first book. Hopefully they will be just as complimentary about my second book!The chosen subject for this book are theatres which are still standing, (just!), but are extremely vulnerable. The majority of these theatres are identified in the official ‘Theatres at Risk Register’ published annually. This was created in 2006 and it records theatres that are in need of considerable help, effort and support from many organisations. If they do not receive this they will be lost forever. Thankfully, having had the much needed support, some theatres are no longer on this list. My first experience of a theatre closure was the sudden demise of my local theatre, ‘Dewsbury Empire’ in March 1955 and the life long effect it had on me, my family, the community, the town and the theatre world in general. As a tribute to all the hard work that the numerous theatre appreciation societies are carrying out, I have selected fifteen theatres and have completed extensive research on their history as well as including the now infamous ‘Did You Know…?’ gossip section!I sincerely hope that the members of the ‘Save the Theatre’ societies are successful in their magnificent efforts and that we see many more ‘Theatres At Risk’ saved for posterity. Thank you to you all for the marvellous efforts you are making in preserving these theatres and I would ask readers of this book to join me in assisting or donating to these good causes whenever possible.