New 200-seat theatre planned for Reading

Published Tuesday 27 March 2007 at 16:10 by Nuala Calvi

Reading will have a new, purpose-built theatre if plans for a £500 million mixed use development next to the town’s main train station get the go-ahead.

The Station Hill development includes shops, offices and homes and has 14,000 sq ft of floor space dedicated to a 200-seat theatre with foyer, cafe, workshops and storage areas.

Jon Homan, director of developers Sackville Properties Ltd, said: “We want to bring life and vitality to the town centre scheme throughout the day, seven days a week, and not just be a business or shopping centre.

“Around 4,000 people will work in the complex and up to 1,000 people live in it so it needs to be a little bit more than restaurants and shops.”

Local theatre company Progress Theatre have expressed an interest in being based at the venue, which is intended to host professional and amateur productions. The theatre would also be used to stage comedy and film nights and hold art exhibitions in its foyer.

The Theatres Trust said it welcomed the plans but urged developers to consider what type of entertainment and performances would be most sustainable, given the potential competition from the West End and other local theatres.

However, developers insist the venue would not compete with the nearby Hexagon or South Street theatres because it would be on a much smaller scale. Reading Borough Council is set to make a decision on the planning application in the summer.