Cultural plans for theatre Building at Risk

Viable options for the future of the Brighton Hippodrome are now to be considered by a stakeholder group including The Theatres Trust, Brighton and Hove City Council and the Frank Matcham Society.

The Hippodrome, a Grade II listed former circus variety theatre, is highly placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and is number one on the Theatres Trust’s Theatre Buildings at Risk Register. There were fears in early 2015 that the space would be converted into a cinema, but these plans eventually fell through in a turn of events that led to the building being purchased by Academy Music Group in April 2015, supported by the ‘Our Brighton Hippodrome’ campaign group.

“This is the moment we have been working towards for the past 18 months,” said David Fisher, on behalf of the group. “We are pleased and excited that Academy Music Group is creating this opportunity. However, this is not the end of the line, just the first milestone. We shall now be working hard on the business proposition with our stakeholder partners.”

Mhora Samuel, Director of The Theatres Trust, said of her involvement in the stakeholder group: “We are pleased to be supporting this initiative. The group will be working together over the next six months to find a solution that will protect the historical and cultural significance of this Frank Matcham theatre and identify a beneficial viable use.”