Broadway reinvented

After much anticipation and a year’s building work, a new regional theatre for Herts opens its doors this month. It’s curtain up at Letchworth’s innovative Broadway.

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LAST year, the iconic Art Deco Broadway in Letchworth – one of the last independent cinemas in the county – celebrated its 80th birthday. But unlike most 80-year olds, it has been reinvented – becoming a theatre as well as a cinema space.

The versatile auditorium, which will be known as Broadway One, can now be transformed into a theatre stage and back to a cinema overnight after a major year-long project. The work to transform the building has required input from architects, engineers and theatre specialists, focusing on everything from acoustics to considering the 400-strong audience’s sightlines. The aim of the project was to provide a stage for mid-scale touring productions while continuing to function as an independent cinema and it will accommodate work ranging from one-man shows to large scale dance productions.

Julia Hallawell, marketing manager for arts and culture at Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, which owns and operates the venue, said the biggest challenge was keeping the cinema open while building works were carried out – although it was necessary to close it for two months last summer.