Frank Matcham Society

THE FRANK MATCHAM SOCIETY

The Society was set up following the centenary of the Wakefield Theatre Royal in 1994. Our members come from all over the U.K. and abroad. We aim to:

*visit and develop links with all the surviving Matcham theatres
*encourage and carry out research into his life and work
*visit theatres by other architects in the UK
*appreciate great theatre architecture on our foreign visits
*publish a regular Newsletter with news and details of visits
*publish an annual Journal with more in-depth articles.

Membership is open to everyone interested in theatre architecture at £20 for single membership and £25 for joint membership at the same address. Click on the link below and post your membership application.

The 2015 calendar is still available with photos from the Frank Matcham Society 2014 visit to Le Marche in Italy. In full colour and only £6 including postage. For information about ordering see the Newsletter or tap or click here.

Click here for the membership form in PDF format to download and print.
If the form does not open properly download the PDF Reader here.

Brighton Hippodrome 2006

BRIGHTON HIPPODROME - COUNCIL TO DEBATE

Brighton and Hove City Council will debate the Hippodrome's future at the full council meeting on 26 March. Vue are not proceeding with the plan to operate an eight screen cinema and the landlord for Brighton Hippodrome does not intend to pursue the development plan, but it is still not known who has taken on the property and what they intend to do with it. Local campaign Our Brighton Hippodrome has asked to meet the remaining known stakeholders, including English Heritage, the Theatres Trust and Brighton & Hove City Council, to discuss a collaborative way forward toward a restored performance venue to benefit the city's cultural status and local economy.

Sign the latest petition to the City Council - link here.

Join the 100 figures from the Arts world who signed an open letter of protest to Brighton & Hove City Council against the original plan for partial demolition of Matcham's II* listed Hippodrome.

Find out how to Join, Donate and Support the local campaign here.

Fund raising events are taking place in Brighton. Details on the Our Hippodrome website here. These will support the campaign vision for the Hippodrome.

No effort should be spared in protecting and finding a fully sympathetic new use for such a great survivor.

The Frank Matcham Society, believes that the original developer's plan to divide and demolish this unique national asset had not been properly thought through and that the reasoned objections by the local campaigners had not been given the careful consideration that they are due. Tap or click here and download the OBH Viability Study for a thoroughly researched response to the situation in Brighton. That a local campaign can demonstrate this depth of knowledge requires nothing less than a full re-examination by the city administration.

This is the most important of Frank Matcham's works no longer in beneficial use and listed Grade II*, putting it in the top six percent of all listed buildings in the UK.

It is essential that all those concerned for the future of this significant Frank Matcham live performance venue pledge your support now. Keep it Alive. Brighton's cultural treasure must not join those already lost. The Frank Matcham Society is concerned at the failure of local and national government to appreciate the value of live theatre and the UK's built theatre heritage.

> Sign the latest petition to the City Council here.
> See the Save Our Hippodrome campaign video here.
> Join the big names supporting the campaign here.

For more Frank Matcham Society and Theatre news click here...

We are grateful to our Patrons
Ken Dodd OBE and Prunella Scales CBE & Timothy West CBE
for their support of the Frank Matcham Society.