Basildon Towngate theatre over years as investment announced

As Basildon Council has announced it is investing £700,000 to ensure the theatre's future, we have delved into the Echo archive for some of the theatre’s ups and downs over years.

Originally called the Arts Centre in Towngate, Basildon, the old Towngate was officially opened by Lord Goodman, chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain.

Early days- a digger clearing the site for the new theatre in 1986 (Image: Newsquest)

Built as a temporary theatre at a cost of £100,000, and seating 500, it was renamed the Towngate Theatre and Arts Centre in January 1976 and ended up lasting a further 12 years before the new building replaced it, as part of the Basildon Centre, in April 1988.

The new theatre was bigger, offering a main auditorium and a second, studio theatre, offering the chance to put on smaller-scale shows alongside those on offer in the bigger space.

Young actors – National Theatre director Chris Barton with youngsters in 1990 at a theatre workshop (Image: Newsquest)

Less than four years later, however, in 1992, the theatre was threatened with closure, sparking a colourful protest pressing for it to remain open.

Beset by financial difficulties, the theatre did eventually close, only fully reopening in 2006.

Youthful protest – youngsters protest at the threatened closure of the Towngate in 1992 (Image: Newsquest)

However, since then it has gone from strength to strength, serving as a venue for everything from comedy and panto to serious drama and live music, with the popular pantomimes "booked out every year" according to  councillor responsible for economic stimulus and tourism, Craig Rimmer.

Demo – Phil and Karon Jacobs of the Vange Community Group protesting against plans to sell Kent View Road playing fields to developers in 2011 (Image: Newsquest)

The theatre has also seen its fair share of real-life drama, since it has been the venue of choice for public meetings on contentious issues when a large turnout is expected – and the place when politicians’ fortunes have been made and un-made at election time.

The launch of the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime in 2015 (Image: Newsquest)

The Towngate is the place where the votes are counted and the results are announced for local and general elections.

A £1million scheme was announced in 2012 to smarten up the theatre and help to continue entertaining the town for many years to come.

Flog It! filmed at the Towngate in 2004 (Image: Newsquest)

Another multi-million-pound cash injection saw “urgent repairs” to the roof completed last year - and now a new £700,000 investment is set to completely rewire the theatre and install new energy-efficient LED bulbs to replace the theatre’s existing lights.