A new owner has taken over Broadstairs Memorial Hall, a community theatre venue that Kent County Council once deemed surplus. The purchaser is Michael Wheatley-Ward, founder and director of the Sarah Thorne Theatre. The hall was listed with a guide price of £350,000 but attracted only one bid, coming in £45,000 below the asking price.
Sarah Thorne Theatre, which counts Dame Judi Dench as a patron, has secured a five-year peppercorn lease on the hall. Mr. Wheatley-Ward explained several motivations for stepping in to preserve the site.
“Community theatre plays a vital role in everyday life, especially now when we need spaces where people can be imperfect, learn, and grow,” he said. “It provides employment and a clear reason to get up each morning. As our patron Judi Dench reminds us, retirement isn’t a word in our vocabulary.”
Wheatley-Ward also outlined plans to establish a charitable trust to hold the theatre for future generations. The team is currently outlining fundraising strategies to complete the purchase and fund improvements to the building, with more details to follow.
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