Prince of Wales Theatre

Significance

The Prince of Wales Theatre opened in 1984 as a replacement of the town’s former theatre, The Forum (originally the Hippodrome Theatre). Part of a large town centre complex, the theatre itself sited between the Market Hall, which is now vacant, and a large car park which was closed due to structural concerns. The building is owned by Cannock Chase District Council and is currently operated by a charitable leisure trust.

The theatre has a seated capacity of around 427 and is also used for other functions and events such as wrestling and the town’s beer festival. Its live performance programme includes theatre, comedy and live music. Along with touring shows, it also supports productions by local groups and is a valued cultural facility for Cannock and its surrounding catchment.

Why is this theatre at risk?

The theatre was added to the Theatres at Risk Register in 2025.

In November 2024, Cannock Chase Council’s Cabinet voted in favour of entering a consultation period with the view to permanently close the Prince of Wales Theatre. The council, which is facing a £1.3m shortfall in its budget for 2025/26, estimates that the closure of the theatre and the town’s local museum, the Museum of Cannock Chase, will provide a saving of £350k.

The decision follows a council-commissioned review of the leisure, culture, and heritage provision in Cannock Chase, aimed at understanding where financial savings could be made. Unfortunately, the report failed to capture the essential benefits of the theatre to residents of Cannock including the effect on health and wellbeing, and its positive impact on the local economy.

A survey of all council-owned leisure services buildings was commissioned at the same time to allow a full understanding of the council’s future maintenance liabilities. The subsequent report recommended closure of the Museum of Cannock Chase and the Prince of Wales Theatre at the end of April 2025.

The result of the public consultation is expected to be reported to a cabinet meeting on 30 January 2025. Should the proposed closures be taken forward, the town will be left without any cultural facility.

Theatre potential

The Prince of Wales Theatre is a valued cultural facility within Cannock with visitor numbers reported as over 70,000 per year. It has much local support, with an online petition to save the theatre gathering more than 19,000 signatures in two weeks.

In addition to touring shows, the theatre is an important local facility for amateur dramatics groups, musicians, local performing arts schools and children’s dance groups. It also plays a crucial role in providing inclusive performance opportunities, particularly for groups supporting neurodiverse performers, and has been instrumental in preserving local heritage through original productions about the area's mining history and wartime experiences.

Beyond traditional theatre, the venue serves as a vital multi-use space, hosting art exhibitions, community events, and festivals. There is no other local provision, and the proposed closure will leave many community groups without a space to perform and audiences without access to local cultural provision. Closure of the theatre will also significantly impact the town centre's vitality and night-time economy.

Current situation

The current proposal to permanently close the theatre is a huge change around in the building’s fortunes. It had previously been considered a key part of the Cannock town centre regeneration project which received £20m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund. The original proposal included provision of a new cultural hub with a two-screen cinema, a bar and restaurant and refurbishment of the theatre. The funding would also have covered some necessary maintenance and repair work to the theatre’s roof and to its heating system.

Outline planning permission for these works was submitted in spring 2023. Theatres Trust responded, welcoming the principle of investment and improvement in the theatre and cultural provision in the area. The project would also have seen better links between the theatre and the town’s main shopping street, with the cultural facility helping drive footfall within the town centre and boosting the nighttime economy.

The project is now considered unaffordable by Cannock Chase District Council, which has stated substantial increases in construction costs as partially responsible. Other parts of the scheme, including the demolition of the neighbouring multi-storey car park for replacement by a mixed-use development, are to go ahead, however the works to the theatre are to be dropped.

The demolition of the car park will necessitate the closure of the theatre. Under the original Levelling Up Fund, there were plans for a temporary theatre space to be provided in the town’s sports centre, however, these too have been abandoned. As it stands, the theatre will close from April 2025 and there are currently no plans for it to reopen or for alternative cultural provision within the town.

Cannock Chase Council has stated that it is committed to gathering the views of residents before making any final decisions on the closure of the theatre, and to help shape the future of its cultural and heritage offer. It opened a four-week public consultation on the proposals on 29 November, the results of which will be reported back to the Council’s Cabinet for consideration on 30 January 2025.

In the meantime, newly established local group, Cannock Heritage and Arts, has been campaigning to save both the theatre and the museum. It is considering options to keep the buildings open and has begun dialogue with the council.

Theatres Trust hopes to work with Cannock Heritage and Arts and the council to find an alternative to the closure of this important community theatre and to ensure that the residents of Cannock can continue to enjoy and participate in cultural activities.

 Main photo, The Prince of Wales, John M; Auditorium courtesty of theatre.