The Stage

Lottery cash for lost Ally Pally theatre

Published Tuesday 24 February 2004 at 12:15 by Ruth Gillespie

Alexandra Palace’s forgotten theatre, part of the historic complex in north London, has been awarded a £5,000 Lottery grant to help promote the venue as it prepares to reopen as a performance space after more than 65 years.

Founded in 1875 the theatre, which is part of the collection of Victorian buildings in Muswell Hill, went dark in 1934 when the BBC took it over as a rehearsal facility. Later it became a store for props and when the Corporation left the site in 1982 the theatre was in a critical state of disrepair.

A support group called The Friends of the Alexandra Palace Theatre was set up in 2002 to assist the Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust, which runs the building and surrounding park, in restoring the Victorian venue to public use.

English Heritage has also been working closely with the organisation since 1996 when the theatre was placed on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk register. It has provided grants totalling £78,500 to carry out essential works including repairs to the roof, the stabilisation of the decorative ceiling in the auditorium, renewal of the fire safety curtain and reinstatement of the missing foyer floor.

Friends chairman Nigel Wilmott said: “This is great news - a significant step in the right direction for the Palace. The £5,000 Lottery award has been earmarked to organise a number of events as well as for marketing and administrative work, capitalising on the growing interest in the theatre.”

A date for the official reopening of the theatre has yet to be confirmed.