Take your seat and keep a piece of Malvern Theatres history - The Malvern Observer

Take your seat and keep a piece of Malvern Theatres history

Malvern Editorial 14th Dec, 2017   0

MALVERN Theatres is selling its old seats to raise much-needed funds to help pay to refurbish the building.

People can buy a pair of seats for just £20 each, giving theatre fans a chance to own a unique piece of history.

Many of the country’s most-famous actors have performed on the Festival Theatre stage since it was built in 1885.

Nic Lloyd, Malvern Theatres chief executive, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime to opportunity to own a significant piece of theatre memorabilia.




“The Festival Theatre has been a celebrated venue for more than 130 years, with some of the country’s greatest stars gracing the stage.

“We want everyone who loves Malvern and who loves theatre to be able to own a little bit of our history, while helping to secure the building for future generations.”


George Bernard Shaw staged many of his new plays in the auditorium in the 1930s and the theatre also hosted historic world-premieres by Edward Albee and Arthur Miller.

Famous actors to tread Malvern’s boards include Errol Flynn, Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Leslie Nielsen, Charlton Heston, Helen McCrory, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Horrocks, Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, James Norton, Billie Piper and Alfie Allen, as well as musicians such as Michael Nyman, Nigel Kennedy and Maria Ewing.

The seats were installed in 1965 and have since been reupholstered, though many now show signs of wear.

Unusually for an arts venue, only one per cent of Malvern Theatres’ running costs are publicly funded.

The building relies on ticket sales, community support and innovative fundraising initiatives to operate.

A minimum of two seats must be purchased and have to be collected between January 9 and 11.

All proceeds will go towards the 2018 Malvern Theatres Tomorrow Fund to help secure the theatre for future generations.

For more information visit www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/news or call 01684 569256.

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