5.0451 Rose Theatre Update (1/77)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Fri, 15 Nov 1991 15:28:24 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 5, No. 0451. Friday, 15 Nov 1991.
Date: Wed, 13 NOV 91 12:59:18 GMT
From: SA_RAE@VAX.ACS.OPEN.AC.UK
Subject: News of London's Rose Theatre.
There was a flurry of activity in London on Monday by the Rose Theatre Trust,
set up to work to 'save' the remains of the 16th C. ROSE THEATRE in London. I
thought that people might find this copy of the press release that they issued
interesting:
PRESS RELEASE
MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER l99l at 7.30pm
CAMPAIGNERS GATHER FOR REUNION AT ROSE THEATRE
WORK UNDER WAY TO RETURN ROSE TO PUBLIC AGAIN
Campaigners for the preservation and re-opening to the public of
the Rose Theatre, came together for an historic reunion tonight -
returning for the first time to the site of the world famous
theatre they fought to save some two and a half years ago.
Although tonight's event was not held in the original site of the
Rose Theatre - it was held immediately above it, in Rose Court,
the Imry Merchant Developers building which was redesigned to
house the theatre after the protestors, led by Dame Peggy
Ashcroft, won their battle not to damage the l6th century site.
At tonight's Rose Theatre Trust gathering - a briefing organised
with the co-operation of Imry - the Trust announced:
- that the (British) Government is at last now considering scheduling the
Rose as an historic monument
- that the Government has, however, so far refused a request for
funding the work of restoring the Rose
- and that the South Thames Training & Enterprise Council has
contributed #15,000 pounds towards the costs of the working party. The
working party, comprising representatives from all the
interested parties (English Heritage, Imry Merchant Developers,
The Museum of London, The London Borough of Southwark and the
Rose Theatre Trust), is currently preparing agreed plans and
costings for the theatre's restoration and reopening. The Trust
needs a further #60,00 0pounds to complete this work.
Simon Hughes, MP for Southwark and Bermondsey and a Trustee
of The Rose, said:
"After two and a half years of enforced absence, friends and
supporters are delighted today to be back at the Rose. Everybody
concerned is now unitedly working together to find the best
archaeological and technical method of preserving and presenting
this most important of British cultural sites. The sooner the
working party can finish its job and come up with its
recommendations, the sooner the Rose can be open to the public
again."
For further information, please contact Jennifer Jones at the
Rose Theatre Trust, P O Box 1587, London SE15 4PW
Tel:071-732 4067
Fax:071-732 5573
END OF PRESS RELEASE
My feelings when I saw the very short TV news item on the gathering was that the
Trust could perhaps do with some messages of support (at the very least! - if
you have, or could raise, the money they need ...). If you feel like responding
then the Trust's address is in the Press Release - or you could send e-mail to
me and I will send it on.
Subscribers to the REED-L list may remember the fuss and bother when the remains
of the Rose Theatre were dug up in 1989 - that eternal triangle (GOVERNMENT
[public purse] vs DEVELOPERS [private purse] vs CONCERNED-PERSON-IN-THE-STREET
[academics]) had a fine old stand-up fight (questions in the House of Commons,
sit-ins by casts of actors, petitions etc) leading to a passable
solution/compromise to 'carefully' adapt the remains into the foundations of the
builing that was scheduled for the site. Plans to open these up to people are
now foundering (it would seem) for lack of money.
Simon Rae | SA_RAE@VAX.ACS.OPEN.AC.UK (World)
Research Adviser, Academic Computing Service | SA_RAE@UK.AC.OPEN.ACS.VAX (JANET)
The Open University, Walton Hall, | phone: (0908) 652413
Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, United Kingdom | fax: (0908) 653744