Oldham Coliseum is ready for its refurb

Oldham Coliseum is ready to be refurbished after preparatory works were completed in the last few weeks, council bosses have said.

The beloved theatre on Fairbottom Street has stood empty for almost two years. But after a high-profile campaign to rescue the venue, the town hall committed £10m to bringing the building back into working order ‘by Panto season 2025’.

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D Hughes Demolition has carried out ‘careful’ prep work inside the building, making way for construction firm Tilbury Douglas to carry out the brunt of the refurbishment in the coming year.

Council leader Arooj Shah said: “Just a few months ago I stood outside the Coliseum and announced that I had listened to the community and decided we would invest in the building to get it re-opened in time for Panto 2025.

“Since then we’ve been hard at work preparing the theatre for its refurbishment.

“I’m delighted that our plans are now coming to life and by next Christmas, the Coliseum will be back. I'm sure many people, like me, can't wait to see the theatre come alive once again."

The 139-year-old theatre closed down in March last year after losing its funding from Arts Council England. Council plans to replace the theatre with a more modern but smaller theatre that would not have been able to host the Coliseum’s famous panto were ferociously rejected by the community.

Instead, the local authority agreed to foot the bill for extensive reparative works - including the removal of some remaining asbestos, fixing structural issues, improving heating and lighting and making the backstage area more accessible for wheelchair users.

Around £6m of the funding is coming from the Towns Fund with the remainder sourced from the council’s regeneration budget.

Mr Bates vs the Post Office actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, who spearheaded the Save the Coliseum campaign alongside Oldham-born screenwriter Ian Kershaw, said she was ;over the moon’ about the progress.

Hesmondhalgh said: “This is amazing news which I know will bring huge excitement to people across the UK. That is the significance of Oldham Coliseum - it’s not just a theatre in Oldham - it’s a place of history, memories and huge pride.

“I’m over the moon that this amazing building will live on for future generations.”