Concerns are growing that the Southport Theatre and the associated Floral Hall may be the type of venues you will only see in old postcards. The complex that once staged acts like the Beatles, PinkFloyd, the Who and Van Morrison has no clear place in Sefton Council plans despite local concerns. A Facebook group dedicated to re-opening the Theatre has 6,600 members.
In 2020 the Sefton bid for Town Centre funding included a proposal for a 1,100 seater auditorium on the Theatre site but it is not clear whether that would operate as a Theatre with regular performances and acts. Sefton already has another events programme for the Atkinson in the town centre. All theatres nationally are currently mothballed.
“My understanding,” states Cllr. John Pugh, ” is that civil servants discussing the bid with Sefton baulked a little when the word “Theatre” was used. Building “theatres” is not seen in Westminster to be a good way of investing government funds.”
“Bliss who own the adjacent hotel and will play a big part in the new developments, handed the Theatre back to Sefton last May. Making the Southport Theatre work without subsidy has not proved easy. I will be surprised if the bid for government cash talks much about Theatre restoration”.
However, Cllr Pugh believes the council must be as upfront and frank with the Southport public as possible.
“A convention centre, even a big auditorium or events space is not the same as the old type of Theatre – Chuck Berry and Ken Dodd filled, or that featured countless pantomimes. Oh no it’s not !”
“And if we are not going to get that back, I, like every other Southport resident, would like to know now.”