Town's theatre reopens for first time since 2020

A town centre theatre in Greater Manchester has reopened to the public after the building closed for six years for a major redevelopment.

Heywood Civic has had a £6.3m refurbishment which includes a glass-fronted extension, a cafe and bar in the reception, new dressing rooms for artists and retractable seating in the auditorium.

Estelle Rowe, chief executive of Your Trust Rochdale, said: "We've got a programme including music, comedy and drama from production companies which we could never have attracted before because we didn't have the facilities."

Stars like Ken Dodd, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Brotherhood of Man and Showaddywaddy have played at Heywood Civic since the venue opened in 1966.

"We'll have live events at the weekend but during the week we'll have things like a youth theatre academy, toddler groups and tea dances", Rowe added.

During the Covid lockdowns, the theatre was used as a Coronavirus testing centre but Ms Rowe told BBC Radio Manchester: "In the years that followed, the venue struggled to take bookings due to the condition of the building".

The redevelopment of Heywood Civic began in 2024, with a £696k cash injection from Arts Council England and £5.6m from Rochdale Borough Council.

Jen Cleary from Arts Council England said: "The centre is a place where everyone in the local community can enjoy the benefits that cultural activity can bring to their wellbeing, as well as develop skills and pride in where they live."

The first show after the theatre reopened was a performance by the comedian Ed Patrick called "Catch Your Breath - The Secret Life of a Sleepless Anaesthetist".

In the months ahead, the theatre has a programme of stand-up comedy, theatre and live music, as well as community events for people of all ages.

The redevelopment of Heywood Civic is part of the wider regeneration of the town centre, which has already seen the redevelopment of Peine Square.

The square, which is named after Heywood's twin town of Peine in Germany, has new seating, a performance area and green spaces which were completed in December.

The project is the first to be delivered as part of the government's Pride in Place funding, which will see £20 million invested into Heywood over the next 10 years.

A project led by Transport for Greater Manchester will also soon be delivering major improvements to the roads and pathways in the town centre of Heywood.

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