‘West End of the north coast’ closes doors for final time

The closure of the Riverside theatre means a generation of performers in the north west will miss out on the experience of being on a “proper stage”, the owner of a dance company has said.

The theatre at the Coleraine campus of Ulster University (UU) will stop operating on Friday.

The venue was billed as Northern Ireland’s oldest professional theatre outside of Belfast.

A UU spokesperson previously said the building had “come to the end of its life” and needed significant investment.

Catherine Lamont, who owns Innova Irish dance company in Portstewart, first took to the venue’s stage when she was eight or nine years old.

Her dance company has used the Riverside Theatre regularly over the last twelve years.

“It’s always been such a special place and whenever I started my own company, that was the theatre that we wanted to have our debut performance [in],” she said.

Ms Lamont said there were some great spaces in the area but the Riverside was “unique”.

“Somebody described it, it’s like the West End of the north coast. It’s our West End,” she said.

“Especially for the younger children coming in as performers, you really feel the sense that you are on a proper theatre stage…the background facilities, the lights, the music, the wings, the drama.”

The venue opened in the 1970s with a capacity of about 350 people.

In January, concerns were raised over its long-term future after UU, which owns the venue, confirmed it was reviewing the way it was used.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council was asked to consider entering into a lease agreement and taking over the costs.

UU estimated that essential repairs could cost almost £750,000, with yearly running costs of almost £500,000.

In June, a council spokesperson said it already operated two arts and culture centres at a significant cost.

The council spokesperson added that taking on the Riverside Theatre and “its extensive repair bill and associated operating costs” would have a direct impact on how council invests in other projects it had already committed to.

Steven Millar, a local actor who has spearheaded the campaign to try and keep the Riverside theatre open, said he accepted the building needed some work and that it had running costs but accused the university of being “short-sighted” by not looking at all the viable options.

“They could have put the theatre out to tender, they could’ve asked if other community groups want to take this building over as a lease, they haven’t considered any of these options,” he said.

“This region of Northern Ireland is not going to have a theatre that receives professional theatre as well as supporting the community with amateur theatre, dance schools and drama societies.”

Jayne Wisener, an actress from Coleraine who has starred in The Inbetweeners and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, performed at the Riverside both as a young person in amateur productions and more recently in touring shows.

“The great thing about the place was less the theatre itself and actually the local audiences, who were always incredibly supportive and up for a laugh,” she said.

“I think it’s very sad that the theatre’s closing down for good.

“It’s been a huge part of our community’s theatrical experience for so many years.”

Ms Wisener said she would like a new theatre or cultural hub to be created in Coleraine to allow the theatre scene “to thrive”.

Alan McClarty, a member of Ballywillan drama group in Portrush, has performed at the Riverside theatre many times over the years.

He said Coleraine was “well-resourced in terms of sport” but it no longer has a theatre.

“I implore our council and our representatives to think about giving us something for our young people, it’s vital for our young people,” he told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme.

“The Riverside theatre and Ulster University have a right to look after the community, that was part of their ethos and I don’t see that happening.

“There was a group of us who went down of our own accord yesterday to say goodbye to the place. It was a very sad moment.”

In May, an UU spokesperson said “in the face of unprecedented financial challenges… it is more important than ever that we focus our resources on core academic activities.”

“Having supported and delivered this civic asset for 50 years, the building itself has now come to the end of its life and requires significant capital investment to remain in use,” they said.

The spokesperson added that the university appreciated the theatre’s closure would come as “a disappointment to many” but said it was committed to exploring new ways to support arts and culture in the region.

UU’s latest financial statement showed it had a surplus of more than £80m.

Social Democratic and Labour Party East Londonderry MLA Cara Hunter said the theatre’s closure was “absolutely gutting”.

“This venue has been the lifeblood of our arts and cultural scene for decades. Permanent closure would be a devastating blow, leaving this as the only council area without a dedicated theatre,” she said.

“Without this space, the next generation of actors and performers will be forced to look elsewhere for opportunities and our community will be all the poorer for it.”