Theatre's reopening 'emotional' after Raac closure

The site was forced to close after unsafe concrete was found there in September

A theatre that was forced to close when dangerous concrete was discovered has reopened after an "incredibly difficult journey".

Audiences were able to return to the Forum Theatre in the village of Romiley in Stockport for the first show since September.

Stockport Council gave £300,000 for temporary repairs to the theatre's roof where the unsafe reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found.

Darren Stannage, of theatre operator NK Theatre Arts, said "so many people pulled together to tackle this problem".

Guests were treated to a performance of Everybody’s Talking about Jamie for the theatre's reopening

Extra seating was set aside for the reopening night on Thursday, with huge local demand, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Stannage said it was a shock when the Raac was discovered and the theatre had to close.

• What is Raac concrete and why is it a safety risk?

“It’s the heart of the village," he said. “It means everything to people here, they have tried to do anything they can to help."

"It’s been incredible and the future is very much bright.”

'Emotional'

Guests were treated to a performance of ‘Everybody’s Talking about Jamie’, a musical show about a teen’s journey to becoming a drag queen.

The lead character was played by 18-year-old Sam Jeffries who has learnt his craft at the theatre since being a child.

"I had a moment at the start of the show when I had to take a breather – it’s been an emotional day," he said.

Further work is expected to help protect the building into the future, with renovations anticipated to cost about £2m.