As the news of Oldham Coliseum Theatre's uncertain future continues to spread, more and more celebrities are voicing their desires to keep the theatre going.
Many actors shared their reactions to the news of the theatre losing its funding by sharing their memories or calling for the Coliseum to be saved.
Now, more celebrities have expressed their desires to keep the famous Coliseum going.
Legendary entertainer Tommy Cannon, who was one half of the comic double act Cannon and Ball, tweeted that news of the Coliseum losing its funding was "just gutting" and also said "we need to try and save this theatre".
We need to try and save this theatre, please retweet! 😞❤️ https://t.co/w26p4igH0o
— Tommy Cannon (@TheTommyCannon) January 31, 2023
Cannon, who was born in Oldham, also shared a link to Stuart Wolfenden's GoFundMe page to save the Coliseum, saying "let's get behind this guys".
Model Karen Elson reacted to the news on Twitter by saying: "This is so sad. How can I help? [It] was a big part of my childhood."
A theater that was very close to my heart when I was young and was also a big part of many northerners lives. It’s sad that the funding has been taken away. https://t.co/gfAUfGiQ7X
— Karen Elson (@KarenElson_) February 2, 2023
She added that the theatre was "very close" to her heart when she was young and that it was a big part of the lives of many northerners.
Meanwhile, Emmerdale actor Lisa Riley tweeted that the news was "heart-breaking" and that people needed to come together to do something about the situation.
https://t.co/C4ImNWgGEG WE ALL NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND SUPPORT @OldhamColiseum THIS IS HEARTBREAKING! This theatre is where we all began-my first stage performance at 9 years old!!! Let’s all come together PLEASE SHARE!! #oldhamcoliseum @emmerdale #emmerdale #theatre
— LISA RILEY (@Reallisariley) February 1, 2023
Speaking on BBC Newsnight on Wednesday (February 1), Oldham-born actor Christopher Biggins said the potential loss of the "gorgeous" theatre would have an impact on other businesses.
He said bars, restaurants and clubs near the Coliseum where people go before and after plays would suffer from the theatre's closure and that it needed "to be funded somehow".
Also speaking on Newsnight was Divina de Campo, a drag queen and musical actor who finished as a runner-up on RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
She said there "absolutely" is a life for the theatre in Oldham and that it was "essential" to protect venues like the Coliseum in the future.
She concluded by saying she would like rich people to be taxed more heavily and for the money to be reinvested into things like the Coliseum.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here