Local Life - Wigan - July 2018

6
Rewinding the clock
The former Royal Court Theatre is set
to receive a new lease of life.
Wiganers could see the theatre on King Street
restored to its former glory thanks to the people
behind The Old Courts.
The Grade II listed former 3,000 seat theatre opened
in 1886 and closed its doors as a theatre/cinema in
1974.
Still largely intact, the Royal Court Theatre will
form part of The Old Courts’ aim to further develop
heritage space to support the development of
culture and the arts in Wigan.
The Old Courts is a not-for-profit multi-arts centre
on Crawford Street in Wigan.
A spokesman at The Old Courts said: “We’re very
excited that the theatre space will once again be
accessible for visitors, and passionately believe that
breathing new life into this historic space will be of
huge benefit to our town.”
People have been sharing their nostalgic memories
of The Royal Court Theatre online including visiting
the cinema with loved ones, which films they
watched and how the sweet shop on the corner
used to look.
Jonny Davenport, one of the directors at The Old
Courts, said: “When the Royal Court Theatre became
available at auction we quickly made the decision
to go for it!
“Our plan for the building is really simple – we want
to return it to its original purpose. The theatre has
a fascinating history and was a highly valued asset
of the town.
“This is a massive project which will require major
fundraising but we passionately believe in both the
history of the building and the potential for it to
thrive again in the very near future.”
Wigan Archives & Local Studies (Wigan Council)