Doncaster campaigners mark theatre's 125th anniversary

Doncaster Grand, which was built in 1899, was granted Grade II listed status in 1995

Campaigners have marked the 125th anniversary of a Yorkshire theatre by renewing calls for it to be reopened.

The last performance at Doncaster Grand theatre was Showboat in 1963, with the building later becoming a bingo hall and threatened with demolition in 1994.

Friends of Doncaster Grand Theatre helped the building gain Grade II listed status in 1995.

The group's president, Margaret Herbert, said the building had "everything going for it".

The Victorian theatre, which was built in 1899 and features a Baroque-style façade, has appeared on the annual Theatres at Risk Register each year since the list began in 2006.

Margaret Herbert, 90, performed at the Doncaster Grand when she was a girl

Ms Herbert, 90, who performed on-stage at the Doncaster Grand when she was a girl, said she believed the scale of the building was one reason for it to be brought back to life.

"The theatres that we've got are only seating about 600. The Grand Theatre used to seat about 1,700," she said.

She told BBC Radio Sheffield: "I did my first shows at the Grand with Doncaster Thespians and there were 80 of us on stage because of its size.

"The other thing is its position which is town centre. It's opposite the railway station. It's adjoining the bus station - it's got everything going for it."

Ms Herbert said the building needed "a lot of work doing to it" but was "not structurally unsound".

"It would be ideal for conferences, seminars and exhibitions, because Doncaster is the centre of the country," she said.

Doncaster Grand has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2006