Hartlepool theatre to reopen for shows while requiring 'significant investment'

Hartlepool Borough Council officers have outlined how the venue in Raby Road is to reopen its doors as a theatre from April after being used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre during the pandemic.

Council chiefs have said a “dedicated piece of work” is also planned to look at how best to operate the venue moving forward.

It follows preliminary discussions about the future of the theatre and two other town venues last year.

Gemma Ptak, council assistant director for preventative and community based services, has now said: “There’s lots of thinking there, it’s been very well used for a very different purpose, we need to get the doors open again.

“It is in need of significant investment, allowing us to work on some specific considerations.

“We hope to move forward with looking at what is the future of the Town Hall Theatre, around investment, around service delivery and operational models, around prioritisation.”

She added Hartlepool has “so many cultural assets” that it is important they look at the purpose of each one to avoid “internal competition”.

Council officers said the site will continue to be used as a vaccination centre up until the end of March with “thousands” coming through the doors during the pandemic.

Ms Ptak added: “What it has done is build some relationships with some members of the public that have never actually been in the Town Hall Theatre before.

“It’s put it on the map for a different reason, so we’re hoping that goes some way to people being aware that it’s there and we can get a good programme moving forward into 2022.”

Her comments were made at the latest council adult and community based services committee after Councillor Carl Richardson asked what the situation with the site was moving forward.

He said: “The fact that it’s still there is brilliant.

“Up and down the country because of Covid a number of theatres have closed and quite a number of them are not even going to reopen.”

It was revealed last month that council chiefs had discussed plans for the theatre, Hartlepool Art Gallery and Headland Sports Centre as part of initial budget studies for the 2023-24 financial year.