Much-loved Harrogate district arts venue may stay closed 'beyond summer' but new improvements are happening during lockdown

Knaresborough’s Frazer Theatre may not be able to reopen for six months or more but, when it does, it will be with an exciting range of improvements - including a new stage.
Repairs, upgrades and improvements - Frazer Theatre in Knaresborough will be better than ever when it finally reopens.Repairs, upgrades and improvements - Frazer Theatre in Knaresborough will be better than ever when it finally reopens.
Repairs, upgrades and improvements - Frazer Theatre in Knaresborough will be better than ever when it finally reopens.

It was in July last year that the announcement came that Frazer Theatre was to “remain dark” until at least the end of 2020 because of Covid.

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Chairman of the Knaresborough Players, David Crosthwaite, said at the time the decision had been taken with “heavy hearts”.

With the nation still in the grip of the pandemic, the theatre’s guardians say the need to put safety first means the Frazer may not now reopen until beyond the summer.

Knaresborough Players vice-chairman John Pearce, a key driving force in Frazer Theatre Comedy Club, said: “Like all entertainment venues, we’re constantly monitoring the situation to evaluate when we think we might be able to reopen.

“Our primary concern, though, always has to be the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, performers and volunteers in what is a small building with a compact layout.

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“We’ve concluded that we will have to wait until there are essentially no restrictions to our activities before we can start up again.

“It may well be well into summer or even beyond before we are able to recommence performances.

“But the lack of shows doesn’t mean that we’ve been sitting idle.

“We decided that we would take advantage of the first extended break in our history to undertake a series of essential repairs and upgrades across Frazer Theatre.”

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Improvements being undertaken during lockdown include new damp proofing, the full redecoration of the auditorium and foyer and the building of a brand new stage.

The good news for culture lovers in Knaresborough is that Frazer Theatre is financially secure and can can safely hibernate for a long time; organisers own the building and there are no paid staff.

John Pearce said: “Some of the work is the kind of nitty gritty things the public would never notice, such as new damp proofing, but are nonetheless extremely important.

"However, some of it will hopefully be immediately obvious to our visitors when we reopen,with the auditorium and foyer being fully redecorated and a brand new stage being built from the ground up

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"Once all the work is complete, we think the theatre will never have looked better while still retaining all the charm and quirkiness we love about it.”

In another positive note, big comedy names have been booked for later this year.

John Pearce said: "The society of the Knaresborough Players is still active, indeed just this week we held an online members only reading of our 2018 panto Sleeping Beauty to try and ease the sadness of missing out on the traditional highlight of the theatre year.

"Although we fear it may well be well into summer or even beyond before we are able to recommence performances, we are absolutely resolute in our determination that we will be back, with a full program of comedy, music and drama, as soon as it is safe to do so."

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