The Playhouse has been our home now for over 30 years and this building has stood the test of time since the 50s. Apart from our arrival, the building has not had major investment into the infrastructure for many years.
With our fabulous theatre seats now over 60 years old and walls showing signs of wear, the decision was made to tackle these projects now before they became more of an issue.
The Decision
The committee made the tough choice to close the theatre in order to carry out major work throughout the Playhouse during 2021
Little did we know we would be closing in March 2020 due to the pandemic. However, this gave us the opportunity to start the refurbishment early!
The main objective
...to insure the Devonport Playhouse is future proofed for modern technology and improvements are made to benefit all who use the theatre...
Main Areas of work
We have a long list of projects, which have been tracked for a number of years now, that we would like to address. Our highest priorities include;
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Reupholster the seats with new padding
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Fix water damaged Auditorium wall
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Repaint the Auditorium
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Upgrade the Stage Electrics
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Provide better equipment for Stage crew
We hope other items on our list will be achieved, but this is all down to how much money is raised for the project.
Can you help us?
COVID 19 not only meant the closure of the theatre but also the loss of revenue for theatre bookings, youth theatre and the planned productions.
With all theatres being affected by COVID, grant funding was in great demand and despite many funding applications we were unsuccessful. We are asking all those who love the Playhouse, if they are able to donate towards the project, anything would be greatly appreciated.
The Playhouse means a lot to so many, whether it was a stepping stone to start a career in the Arts industry or whether it was meeting a loved one, the Playhouse is a key pillar for Plymouth's theatre world.