Save The Manchester Palace Theatre

Please please please help us
As you know ive posted on here about the plans to turn the highly succesful Manchester Palace Theatre in to a home for the Royal Opera. Well now it looks set to happen with a new proposal expected to be passed by Manchester Council.

The issue is not about having an Opera venue in the UK, its about closing one of the biggest and best touring venues which still does huge business to bring this venture in which will see the theatre close its doors to musicals/comedy/plays/concerts etc forever.

This theatre has served Manchester for well over 100 years, the people of Manchester have not asked for this Opera House but don't seem to be getting a say in the matter.

Whilst it looks great the Palace will get a face lift and its facade changed (thank god) to many people are sighting that as a reason for this to go ahead. My question is why cant money be spent on the venue whilst its operating as a Theatre?

Also whilst it tells us of the jobs it will create, it fails to mention the 100s of jobs that will be lost when the theatre closes for refurb (which could take 2 years), a staff who are so devoted (Example, the FOH dept are always named the best FOH dept in the country) that the loss of the jobs will be heartbreaking

Also, past operas in Manchester have not done well, most recently Primadonna with a huge ad campaign, a well known writer etc failed to set the box office on fire.
If something as commercial and well publicised as that can fail then what chance does an all year round Opera venue have.

If they want an opera venue, use the 110 million they are wanting to invest to bild one.

Save this great theatre
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savemanchesterpalacetheatre/

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I've just signed this SADM2 and as you can imagine from me they got a full throttle blast of condemnation.
BUT i need you to tell that once i pressed 'signed' and it went into all the PayPal stuff and I pressed 'cancel', does that mean my signing hasn't gone thru?

Though i cant see you signiture, try againa and just ignore the thing at the end.

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Just a suggestion but perhaps you can ask carriesparkle to mention it on the main Broadwayworld UK page, the loss of one major theatre will affect the touring theatre industry in the UK.

Oh you know i will Mamma, i know you love the venue as much as i do

The lovely Carrie is also runningan article on Vertigo setting up the campaign to stop it happening

I helped save the Tameside Hippodrome from becoming a car park at the last second (hehehe its now grade 2 listed) and im sure as hell gonna fight this one as well.

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Yeah the Guardian article was a strange one, not one person ive spoke to thinks this is a good idea.
We would have no problesm housing a few of the Royal Operas new works, its should be a venue that can carry all art forms, i just dont get where the logic is closing the venue down altogether grrr

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I can't understand why Manchester City Council would want to turn a entertainment venue which generates money year in year out in favour of something that will appeal to a niche audience. £110m would easily build an opera house that could easily serve as the North West's Opera base or just use the Lowry.

As stereotypical as this sound but Manchester doesn't strike as a place with an opera loving audience.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Vertigo_Theatre_Productions_Start_Campaign_To_Save_The_Manchester_Palace_Theatre_20090929

Was going to launch it in the morning but decided to do it now because it made me so grrrrrrrrrr.

Yeeeah Carrie you are a star
but god i hope you did a grammer check on that article, i rushed it just to get it send out tonight. Im a writer with terrible spelling and grammer (i blame my dyslexia)

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no its fine

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i agree Carrie its very annoying

I might put something together about the history of the Palace so people can see just what an amazing venue it is

And you should be in bed missy and getting some rest x

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Thanks Carrie so much for the support

Good night xx

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Thanks for bringing this to attention and starting the campaign.

Its been a decade since I left manchester but have fond memories of the Palace. So many bars and restaurants00000 would suffer during the refurb time as well as the loss of jobs from the theatre itself.

There are only a handful of theatres that can manage the 3 month sit downs and it would be a huge blow to lose the one thats best at it.