Two historic South London theatres named amongst UK theatres at risk list

Streatham Hill Theatre in Lambeth and Borough Hall in Greenwich have been named amongst the 39 theatres across the UK threatened by a risk of closure, redevelopment or severe decay, writes Molly Hunt…

The Theatres Trust has been publishing a Theatres at Risk Register for 20 years, which identifies theatres across the UK that require support to help secure their future.

Joshua McTaggart, CEO of Theatres Trust, says that the buildings listed were “just the tip of the iceberg” and that “theatres built in the 1970s [were] now facing a higher likelihood of challenges that could lead to long term or even permanent closure.”

He added that “this is a future we want to confidently avoid, and so Theatres Trust urges theatre owners, operators and local authorities to reach out to us before concerns become crises.”

Streatham Hill Theatre, a Grade II building, was built in 1929 and designed by renowned theatre architect William George Robert Sprague. It has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2018.

The theatre was hit by a V1 flying bomb during World War Two and rebuilt in its original design. It has also appeared on Historic England’s Heritage At Risk Register since 2021.

Its future has been uncertain since 2017, when the bingo operator, which held a sub-lease on the building, stopped operating.

The building was sold to Hold Land South East, before being sold on again by Ruach City Church for a reported £4 million.

The church said it had invested more than £700,000 in repairs, including work to tackle flooding and damp, and to make the auditorium usable again for performances. However it still requires substantial repairs.

Plans to convert the change of use of the building into a place of worship remain under consideration alongside another application which suggests a mixed-use alternative.

Local campaign group The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre remains proactive in supporting the theatre, both in fundraising and in galvanising the local community and creative industry to support it.

Borough Hall in Greenwich, also a Grade II listed building, was built as part of the former Greenwich Town Hall complex. It opened in 1939 and was inspired by the architecture of Dutch modernist architect W.M. Dudok.

Borough Hall was a popular venue for theatre, music and dance performances until 2018.

It has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2022. The Theatres Trust says that the site needs significant investment in order to modernise, address maintenance concerns and bring it up to a standard where performances could once again take place.

The Theatre was sold to developer Lita Homes in 2024, who have suggested their desire for the building to be redeveloped into a hotel.

Since the launch of the Theatres at Risk Register in 2006, over 80 theatres have been restored.