£1.4m theatre to be built on school campus near Oswestry
A £1.4m theatre is to be built at a school near Oswestry, which will open for the community to use.
Moreton Hall School in Weston Rhyn has revealed it is to build a 290-seat community theatre on campus, which it is hoped, will be open to the public by 2019.
As well as announcing news of the venture, the independent day and boarding school has also released artist's impressions of how the theatre will look once complete. The theatre is being conceptualised by Tim Ronalds, the architects behind the Hackney Empire.
Already the plans have attracted wide support, with £850,000 being pledged towards the project so far, as well as 250 businesses, schools, community groups and arts organisations surveyed for their feedback.
The school says the response for the venture has been "positive and overwhelming", from both schools and local groups.
The idea for the community theatre was the brainchild of benefactors, Bill and Julie Holroyd, who saw the positive results of drama, through their own daughter's education.
Mr Holroyd himself has been instrumental in setting up and developing the Onside Youth Zones, a partnership between the public and private sector. At these 'zones' young people from all backgrounds can engage in a number of activities, from sport to creative arts to support with their careers.
He said: "I have seen the results of community engagement to deliver projects that help a local area at many levels.
"I feel that the girls of Moreton Hall can successfully lead a campaign that will add to their experience - but most importantly, result in a place for the community to come together and learn about, participate in and enjoy all that the arts have to offer. I look forward to being in the audience when the doors open."
The new theatre will be named the Holroyd Theatre, after Mr and Mrs Holroyd.
The theatre will be run by the school through Moreton Enterprises, comprising of students who already organise a number of successful business projects, currently with a turnover of circa £50,000. They will be in charge of running the box office, promoting events, catering, designing and producing merchandise.
The plans were unveiled on the day senior politician William Hague attended a business lunch at the school.
Jonathan Forster, principal at Moreton Hall, added: "It is now up to the enterprising and community spirit in and around Moreton Hall, to see this plan come to fruition.
"The aim is for the current students to follow in the footsteps of the girls who in the 1980s and 90s were successful in their efforts to open Gobowen railway station.
"We greatly appreciate that the scene has now been set - to begin our latest community campaign, with the Lord Hague of Richmond, speaking here at Moreton Hall.
"We hope that we can invite him back to see the curtain go up on our first production in 2019."
