Theatre due to close ahead of revamp

An artist’s impression of the revamped Telford Theatre project, which has received £15.5m from central government funds

Telford Theatre will close its doors later this month as a major two-year revamp gets under way.

The expansion project has received £15.5m of levelling up funding from central government, with Telford & Wrekin Council contributing £1.5m.

The theatre, in the Oakengates area, will close on 23 March for internal survey work, ahead of building work that is due to start in the autumn.

It is due to re-open in October 2026.

Work to remodel the theatre will result in an increased capacity of 750 people in a two-tiered main auditorium.

Proposals also include a new bar and dining area, a small studio theatre, and improved backstage areas.

New bar and studio theatre

A planning application for the remodelled theatre is set to be submitted in the next month, and the council is already going through pre-application processes.

A recent consultation about the plans saw 597 responses, with 74.9% of respondents thinking “remodelling the theatre would bring more visitors to Oakengates, supporting local businesses”.

Carolyn Healy, the council’s cabinet member for leisure, said the results were “really positive”.

She added the authority was “confident” they had a location for the library in Oakengates, when it moves in next month.

“There [are] a number of tenants we need to work with to make sure they’re re-located,” she said. “The physical work starts in the autumn.”

The application will include detailed drawings of the proposed work and will be an opportunity for further comments, which could lead to further changes.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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