Bolton-born actor Maxine Peake has joined calls to save the Oldham Coliseum after a loss of funding forced it to cancel productions.

The iconic venue, which has a history which stretches back over 125 years, announced the cancellation of all of its upcoming productions from March onwards.

The theatre had formerly benefitted from funding from Arts Council England (ACE) as it was on the list one of the council’s National Portfolio Organisations (NPO).

The reaction from Peake and many other has come after the Coliseum lost that status with little warning, which has seen it lose out to the tune of around £600,000, based on its previous funding receipts.

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Peake, from Westhoughton, submitted her rallying cry via social media, where she said: “Okay theatre community, what are up for doing to help save Oldham Coliseum?

“Let’s put our collective heads together - getting the Tories out is a given.”

In a statement on the closure of the theatre a spokesperson said: "Following the news on November 4, 2022, that the Coliseum will no longer be part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from April 1, 2023, the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team have been working hard to find a solution to this reduction in funding.

"The theatre put the pantomime on sale in November and announced the Spring-Summer season in early December with the best possible intentions, while still exploring options that may have enabled the continuation of the programme.

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"However, the current financial situation is not sustainable for the season as planned."

"It has been an incredibly difficult decision to cancel the programme of events and we understand the disappointment this will undoubtedly cause."

It has also been confirmed ticket holders for other events beyond March 26 will be refunded over the coming weeks. 

Peake, who went to Canon Slade Sixth Form, is a staunch defender of theatre and the arts.

The play she wrote, Beryl, which depicts the life of British cyclist Beryl Burton who dominated her sport in the 1950s-60s, was shown at The Octagon Theatre in 2019 as well as appearing at the Oldham Coliseum in 2021.

READ MORE: Maxine Peake throws support behind Winter Hill anniversary walk

A Crowd Funder and a Go Fund Me have been set up with the aim of raising funds to ‘keep Oldham Coliseum alive’.

The details can be found here:

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