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14
Jan
Harrogate Theatre launches drive to raise £125,000
Harrogate Theatre is marking its 125th anniversary this year by launching a campaign to raise £125,000.
The theatre, which first opened its doors on January 13, 1900, is planning a series of special events throughout the year to celebrate the milestone, starting on Wednesday with a special birthday gala edition of this year’s pantomime, Beauty and the Beast.
David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre, told the Stray Ferret:
This is a milestone in the history of the theatre, and it's an opportunity to generate some interest and money.
The funds will be used simply to keep the theatre going. We have more and more obligations in terms of capital outlay, at the same time as a lack of funding from the local authority and the Arts Council.
We’re experiencing extraordinarily difficult times, but there’s a lot of sympathy for the theatre in the town, so I hope that will translate into funds.
The stage at Harrogate Theatre
Harrogate Theatre was designed by FA Tugwell and opened in 1900 as the Grand Opera House – a name which can still be seen in the stained glass of its lantern roof – and was refurbished in the mid-1970s and 2000s.
Performers who have appeared there include Sarah Bernhardt, Ellen Terry, Charlie Chaplin, Trevor Howard, Fats Waller and Eddie Izzard.
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