London Borough of Waltham Forest buys Theatre at Risk

Theatres Trust welcomes the news that the London Borough of Waltham Forest has purchased EMD Walthamstow, or Walthamstow Granada as it is also known, which has been on our Theatres at Risk Register since 2015.

We have been working with both the new owner London Borough of Waltham Forest and the new operator Soho Theatre offering advice on architecture, the economic impact and how to make the venture successful, so we are delighted to see real progress being made to return this theatre to community use.

The building is a Grade II* ciné-variety theatre, an excellent example of its type and a venue with a rich cultural heritage with performers including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones having played there. But more importantly, it has enormous potential as a live performance venue in a borough that currently does not have a major permanent theatre.

We thoroughly commend the London Borough of Waltham Forest for recognising the positive impact the restored theatre will have on the local area and its economy. We would urge other local authorities to adopt a similar attitude and see their local theatres as valuable assets.

Read more about the Walthamstow Granada on our Theatres at Risk list.

Photo by Mike Fox