Campaign to raise £5m for historic theatre revamp

Plans for a £5m restoration of a derelict theatre aim to revive "the last historic building" in Somercotes.

Somercotes Parish Council hopes to raise the money in order to bring the former Premier Electric Theatre, which first opened in 1912, back to life.

Campaigners said the restoration would provide opportunities for young people in one of Derbyshire's "most deprived areas" and has the backing of stars from stage and screen.

Speaking to the BBC, Somercotes Parish Council chairman, Jason Parker, said: "You've got a working theatre that's also a cinema, does fashion shows, you may get a young person walk past, see something going on and it sparks their interest."

The Premier Electric Theatre was opened for business by George Beastall, a wine and spirits merchant, and began showing films on 1 January 1912.

In its heyday, the 1,280-seat theatre and cinema had a packed schedule.

However, it closed in 1960 following a fire and later became a bingo hall in the mid-1970s.

Plans were submitted for its demolition in 2020, but over 600 objections came from the community, supported by the Theatres Trust and Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust.

Campaigner and parish councillor, Kellie Judson, said the renovation plans for the theatre had the backing of Kes star David Bradley and Nottingham-born Su Pollard, best known for roles in Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?.

The restoration also has the support of Elizabeth Donker Curtius and Mike Collin, who run a stunt school in Somercotes.

They have worked as stunt performers in titles such as Gladiator II, James Bond No Time to Die and Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon.

"It's not just Somercotes's high street, some communities have nothing and the identity of our communities have been lost," Parker said.

"The Premier Electric Theatre is our last historic building in Somercotes, it has a significant history.

"We knew it was an iconic cinema, it was the first cinema outside the cities to have 3D capability and surround sound.

"What we didn't know, that it was originally built as a theatre opening in 1912 and put on major shows into the 40s alongside the cinema.

"The premier was a major theatre in its day and it's been lost, it's been forgotten. It's one of the very few surviving silent movie theatres."

The group is confident it can secure funding for the project from organisations such as The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund and Arts Council of England.

A fundraiser has been set up to get the ball rolling, campaigners added.

They want the revamped theatre to be a multi-use community space, and said they had already been approached by promoters about how big the venue could be in future.

Judson added: "It's going to hopefully be a bit of everything so we want it to be a theatre, cinema, a community space, a space for schools, they can put performances on, it gives young people opportunities.

"It can be a space just for any form of creativity... a real community asset. I think it could really lift the high street and lift spirits of people living locally.

"Somercotes is one of the most deprived areas in the country with low car ownership and you know there'll be kids in our community who've never been to a cinema or a theatre and we want them to have that."

Additional reporting by Eddie Bisknell, Local Democracy Reporting Service

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