The first performers who will be appearing at Shrewsbury’s new £28 million theatre were announced today, with organisers boasting a star-studded line-up.
James Morrison has been lined up as one of the headline acts with a concert on March 28.
The singer was the stand-alone biggest-selling British male solo artist of 2006 and sold over two million copies of his debut album which included the popular hits ‘You Give Me Something’ and ‘Wonderful World’.
The first public performance will be on February 22 with the Charles Darwin Memorial Lecture, which brings Professor Lord May of Oxford to deliver a lecture entitled Darwin’s Scientific Legacy and Climate Change.
Other notable people appearing include poet and television personality Pam Ayres, veteran Labour politician Tony Benn, and Dave Spikey, co-writer and star of Phoenix Nights and former team captain of 8 out of 10 Cats.
The theatre will be officially opened to the public at the end of March, an event marked by a spectacular staging of the children’s musical Romany Wood which will feature more than 400 young people from across Shropshire.
For the full story on the line-up see tomorrow’s Shropshire Star
11 Comments
shame there is not enough parking for such an ugly looking building, maybe instead of concerntrating on getting “big names” in, they should have thought about the parking and the relationship the theatre is going to have with near by businesess and locals… oh dear.
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the building will still look awful. looks like a nuclear power station with some timber cladding hammered on! £28 million???????!!!!!!
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Sarah g .Not enough parking have you not seen Frankwell Car park. Seems Shrewsbury is full of Knockers or a word like that. I for one am glad to see some real productions coming our way.Why oh why when the town moves forward are pepole so reluctent to embrace the good things going on in Shrewsbury. The quarry events, the folk festival, the square , the summer season, OMH, all the new restaurants and bars,and the fact that there is life in the town not just based on drink. If this is so bad why not those who do not like it go and live eleswere so they can make room for pepole who want a better and more fun Shrewsbury.
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PARKING? Erm…. Frankwell car park 100m away!
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Sarah g: “they should have thought about the parking and the relationship the theatre is going to have with near by businesess and locals” - surely having an attraction like this theatre can only have a good effect on local businesses? I would’ve thought more people will come to Shrewsbury, and spend more money. As for locals, perhaps it’ll encourage more of us to walk or get the bus rather than driving, thus reducing everyone’s carbon footprint.
It can only be a good thing for the town.
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Will there be any entertainment for those over 6 and under 60? Dave spikey sounds ok, but what are the chances of seeing some decent bands?
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I think the Council have done well to provide a reasonably full programme for the first year of operation, given how difficult it must be to book events for a theatre that isn’t open no matter how many assurances you give that the work to construct it is on schedule! However, I am very disappointed at the price of tickets - £30 a ticket makes it a very expensive night out especially given how low on average wages in Shropshire are. Completely unaffordable - and my husband and I earn well over the local average!
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the new theatre should be given a chance, for it’s first panto i reccommend john sergeant in strictly jack in the beanstalk!
as for parking there is a large carpark nearby except during flooding and for those who want to stretch their legs there is a large multi storey car park across the welsh bridge or don’t people promenade any more, tut!
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Sarah G, you seem to think that ugly buildings require more parking than attractive ones. Could you explain that, please?
I think it’s an attractive building, and a long-overdue adornment and benefit to the town and county.
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I too think it’s a shame that people moan about the theatre - I happen to think it’s a great looking building and don’t think that parking is a problem. I’m totally behind the council investing money into projects like this to push the town forward and the doommongers would do better to realise that the council has done a fine job of commisioning this theatre and delivering it on time and on budget. And the person who thinks it looks like a nuclear power station has either seen some damn impressive power stations or needs to go to specsavers.
As EE pointed out, I hope some good bands make there way here now.
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Re comment by RF; the theatre is in your eyes ‘a great looking building’……i think you need a visit to spec savers!! it might be to you; but i bet for those people who have to look at it all day and night who live near by might just not have the same view. I dont live by it but every time i drive past it i cant help but thinking ‘what the heck have they spoiled a nice area with’ It prob will be very nice inside, but why make it look like they have? it is so out of tune with the other buildings around the area !!
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