AUGUST EXTRAS…

Over the next two weeks we have several extraordinary events to whet your appetite.

SAT 27 AUG

7pm – 11pm in Playhouse Bar

Make a date to stay late and continue the party
after Truro Pride.

Tickets: £10

On Sat 27 Aug we welcome Pride Cornwall to Truro, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride UK!

From 12.30pm to 8pm join in the Community Pride event on the Quay, bursting with live music and great conversation. Our Green Room Café will be open from 11am to 9pm.

Hall for All – Make a date to stay late and continue the party in Playhouse Bar (Boscawen Street entrance), where we will be ramping up the glitz and glamour with DJ funky vibes and cool cocktails. From 7pm – 11pm.

BOOK NOW 

SUN 28 AUG

3pm – 7pm in Playhouse Bar

Join us for a traditional Cornish Tea Dance.

Tickets: £20

What to expect: a dedicated dance class from 3pm – 4pm (optional) with a qualified dance teacher. We will be serving a traditional Cornish cream tea from 4pm with locally made, freshly baked scones from Manor Made, Rodda’s clotted cream, Boddington’s strawberry jam and pots of refreshing Cornish Tea.

Put on your dancing shoes from 4.30pm until 7pm with the band Swingology. Why not make an evening of it with the bar open until late, serving cocktails and wine from their new drinks list.

BOOK NOW 

WED 31 AUG

7pm – 10pm in Playhouse Bar

A music and wine tasting event– a crossing of the arts that you can taste and savour.

Tickets: £35

Join Elly Owen (2020 Best Sommelier in UK) and Richard Healey (renowned music director and composer) for a curated evening of wine and music.

Does the music you are listening to affect the taste of wine? We take you on a sensory journey through wine and music, leading you on a tasting like no other. See how music takes your taste buds to places you wouldn’t believe.

This exclusive and original event has only limited availability of 30 places. Book now to avoid disappointment.

BOOK NOW 

Every FRI and SAT
4pm-9pm

Philleigh Way on the Quay!

From today, join our friends at Philleigh Way on the Quay for delicious food cooked over coals, served with refreshing drinks from the Green Room Café.

This tasty pop-up will be here every Fri and Sat night 4pm – 9pm, right through to the beginning of October. The perfect pit-stop pre-theatre or a great place to stop and meet up with friends after work or before a night out.

FRI and SAT until 28 AUG
5pm – 11pm
Playhouse Bar open for late-night sipping.

Make the most of these last summer, August days and meet up with friends at the theatre’s Playhouse Bar. Open Fri and Sat evenings (ticketed event on 27 Aug), until 28 Aug from 5pm – 11pm.

From Thu 1 Sep, our new Cocktail & Wine bar menu will continue to be exclusively available for late-night sipping from 9.30pm until 11pm for post-show drinks. Find us in the bar, draw up a stool and join in the fun and glamour of theatre life.

The Green Room Café is open Mon – Sat from 11am – 4pm. From week commencing the 29 of Aug, opening times will remain the same Mon – Wed, but Thu, Fri & Sat, our opening times will be based on show times.

Whether you are meeting up with friends or family for coffee and cake, a refreshing drink, ice cream or lunch on the go, we’ve got it covered.

 

Beyond Face working with schools and artists in Cornwall.

Beyond Face are a theatre company providing opportunities for artists of the Global Majority to live, thrive and make work in the South West theatre sector.

We recently worked with the company to share their new production Sitting in the Grey with young people at Bodmin College. Written & Directed by Artistic Director Alix Harris, the play follows a teenager named Ashlee as they attend their first protest for Climate Justice. Sitting in the Grey focuses on the importance of listening and active conversation amongst young people and adults, especially as we all try to navigate life’s in-betweens and uncertainties.

We are supporting Beyond Face in We Are Here to Create, hosting a workshop at Hall for Cornwall on 25 Feb for Global Majority people who are interested in making theatre. If you are of the Global Majority and would like more information click here.

In March we are partnering with IntoBodmin to present We Are Here to Share, a scratch night of work created by Global Majority artists and curated by Beyond Face at The Old Library in Bodmin. If you’d like to join us to support this work in the early stages of development you can book a space here.

THE WORLD PREMIERE NEW MUSICAL SETS SAIL 13 OCTOBER

The cast for the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical at the Hall for Cornwall next month has been announced, including Cornwall’s own Edward Rowe, star of the BAFTA-winning film, Bait and Hall for Cornwall’s smash-hit Christmas Shows Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Calum Callaghan (Mr Selfridge) plays Danny, a fish-out-of-water music manager who stumbles across a group of shanty singing fishermen in Port Isaac, Cornwall.  The leader of the band, Jim, played by Deka Walmsley (Billy Elliot, Macbeth), takes some convincing to sign up his friends and family to the world of music recording.

He is joined by his fellow fishermen: Jago played by Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey) who is originally from St Austell, Leadville played by Mensah Bediako (Master Harold and the Boys), Rowan played by Dan Buckley (The Book of Mormon), Dinger played by Rakesh Boury (Rock of Ages), Wiggie played by Matt Slack (Blood Brothers) and Archie played by Hadrian Delacey (The Phantom of the Opera).

The band is completed by Cornish actor Edward Rowe, known for his comedy character Kernow King and as the star of Mark Jenkin’s BAFTA-winning film Bait. Edward has a starring role in Jenkin’s Bait follow-up Enys Men and has written and performed his own shows including Hireth, Trevithick and The Cornish Caretakers.

Star of stage and screen Susie Blake (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bev Unwin in Coronation Street, Nativity 3, Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack’d, Mrs Fisher in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em) joins the company as pub landlady Maggie, alongside Parisa Shahmir (The Last Ship) as Alwyn, Deborah Tracey (Standing At The Sky’s Edge and Hall for Cornwall’s 2017 Christmas show, Sleeping Beauty) as record label manager Leah and Georgia Bruce (Malory Towers) as Sally.

The cast is completed by on-stage actor-musicians, James William-Pattison (Once), Annie Grace (Sting’s The Last Ship), John O’Mahony (This Restless House), Louisa Beadel (Fame) and musicians Hazel Askew (BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee), Alfie Gidley (New Roots finalist) and Musical Director James Findlay (winner of the BBC Young Folk Award 2010).

Julien Boast, CEO and Creative Director at Hall for Cornwall said: “We’re excited to be welcoming such a talented cast of actors, including home-grown talent from Cornwall, to raise the curtain on this world premiere, the first show in our inaugural season and the first co-production of our in-house production company, Cornwall Playhouse Productions.”

Edward Rowe said: “I am absolutely delighted to be in Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical. It has so much heart and joy and I couldn’t think of a more perfect show to open the new Hall for Cornwall”.

Performances will run from Wednesday 13 October to Saturday 30 October 2021 and this will be Hall for Cornwall’s first major production to take to the stage following a three-year, multi-million pound transformation of the venue in the centre of Truro.

Tickets are available from £15.00 online here or via the box office: 01872 262466.

Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical is produced by ROYO, Flying Fish Productions, Mighty Village, with Island Records, David Mirvish and Cornwall Playhouse Productions.

More than £100 million has been awarded to 925 cultural organisations across the country including Hall for Cornwall in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today (19th November).

Hall for Cornwall has been awarded a grant of £85,000 to cover bringing on new staff and other running costs as it prepares to fully reopen the new building in December.

The Hall has undergone a multi-million pound rebuild over the last three years and reopened with a sell-out premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical in October. It is currently closed through November while the finishing touches are put to the venue and will reopen fully in December for the start of its Christmas Show, Cinderella.

The third round of the Culture Recovery Fund will support organisations from all corners of the sector as they deal with ongoing reopening challenges, ensuring they can thrive in better times ahead.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Culture is for everyone and should therefore be accessible to everyone, no matter who they are and where they’re from.

“Through unprecedented government financial support, the Culture Recovery Fund is supporting arts and cultural organisations so they can continue to bring culture to communities the length and breadth of the country, supporting jobs, boosting local economies and inspiring people.”

Hall for Cornwall Co-Chair, Chris Pomfret, said: “The Culture Recovery Fund has been a lifeline through the pandemic for so many cultural organisations and we’re very grateful for this award which will help us as we prepare to fully reopen our building.

“Although we staged the hugely successful production of Fisherman’s Friends The Musical just a few weeks ago, we have been closed throughout November to complete and finish all areas of our magnificent theatre.

“This award will help us offset some of our costs while we remain closed in November. We look forward to welcoming audiences back for Cinderella in December, which is the second show after Fisherman’s Friends that has been co-produced by our in-house Cornwall Playhouse productions team.”

Truro and Falmouth MP, Cherilyn Mackrory, said: “Hall for Cornwall has undergone an amazing transformation and is a huge boost to Cornwall’s cultural offer at a time when we are bidding for City of Culture 2025 status. This award from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund will see the theatre through November ready for its Christmas show when it will welcomes audiences from across Cornwall for some much-anticipated festive fun.”

Over £1.2 billion has already been awarded from the unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, supporting around 5000 individual organisations and sites across the country ranging from local museums to West End theatres, grassroots music venues to festivals, and organisations in the cultural and heritage supply-chains.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said: “This continued investment from the Government on an unprecedented scale means our theatres, galleries, music venues, museums and arts centres can carry on playing their part in bringing visitors back to our high streets, helping to drive economic growth, boosting community pride and promoting good health. It’s a massive vote of confidence in the role our cultural organisations play in helping us all to lead happier lives”.

Thanks to Arts Council England and the government's Culture Recovery Fund, we can continue to be here for Culture, here for Heritage & here for Cornwall.

We are delighted to have heard today that we have been awarded £100,000 from the latest round of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund as we plan for our reopening later this year.

More than £300 million has been awarded to some 2,700 cultural organisations across the country in the second round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

As we continue with our transformation project, we are truly grateful for this award which will be used to re-engage with audiences across Cornwall and for stage programme and technical preparations as we plan and look forward to our reopening later this year.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to reopening and recovery as they transition back to normal in the months ahead. 

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced. Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead."

Julien Boast, Hall for Cornwall’s Chief Executive and Creative Director, said: “Like thousands of venues across the country we can’t wait to reopen and in our case it will be the first opportunity for people to see the amazing transformation we have undergone over the last three years. This money will help us reconnect with audiences across Cornwall and prepare for our exciting inaugural season later this year. We are grateful to the Cultural Recovery Find and Arts Council England for their continued and invaluable support.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said: “Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic.

“These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.  We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. 

The pandemic has hilighted how much community matters and our new home will be a beacon for the county, playing a vital role in Cornwall's economic recovery. Our reimagined theatre will provide welcome spaces for schools and community groups and new backstage facilities will widen access, helping us to provide many more creative opportunities for young people and schools.

We're passionate about throwing open our doors and welcoming you all back to a new theatre which has people, passion and possibility at its heart.

We are truly grateful to the partnership working of all our funders on this project which is being supported by Arts Council England, Cornwall Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, HM Treasury, the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, the European Regional Development Fund and an army of passionate and committed supporters.

We are pleased to share with you today on this St Piran’s Day, the national day of Cornwall, that our new auditorium will be named Cornwall Playhouse  or Gwariji Kernow in Cornish.

We are excited to announce Cornwall Playhouse as the new name for our magnificently transformed auditorium on this special day which celebrates Cornwall’s rich cultural tradition and heritage, and which has people, passion and possibility at its heart.

While Hall for Cornwall remains the name of our venue and the mark of quality and experience in all that we do, whether you’re visiting our theatre, being supported as an artist or participating in one of our youth workshops, Cornwall Playhouse will be home to our new stage programme where our motto will always be ‘Seriously Entertaining‘.

The auditorium was was officially christened by Cornwall Council Leader Julian German during a socially distanced naming ceremony at the theatre a few weeks ago. Also in attendance was the Grand Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Elizabeth Carne, Melennek, joining us to celebrate of the theatre’s importance as a place for promoting Cornish heritage and culture. Do take a look at the short film we made to commemorate the event.

Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council commented: “Over the last five years, Cornwall Council is proud to have unlocked £93 million to invest in growing and strengthening Cornwall’s cultural sector. The Hall for Cornwall redevelopment is a cornerstone of that activity which will truly enrich Cornwall’s cultural life and creative economy.

“This redevelopment will reawaken the beauty and history of City Hall, opening up the building and welcoming people and creative potential from across Cornwall. I am delighted that Cornwall Council has been able to support the redevelopment.”

The new auditorium, Cornwall Playhouse, will have better sightlines, acoustics and 300 more seats, giving capacity to attract high quality performances. Improved café, bar and public spaces will make the venue more welcoming, and a creative digital business hub will firmly root the theatre as a space to inspire and create.

Today also sees the launch of our new website and its digital heritage collection, alongside new identities for our education, community and artist support programmes.

Get Creative is the new name for our programme of creative work with schools, families and communities, which is expected to reach over 50,000 young people in the next five years using theatre, dance, music and heritage.

A new co-working space called Husa (meaning ‘to create an illusion or dream’ in Cornish), will nurture and support Cornish performance artists and the creative industries, and is a first for a UK regional theatre.

And our History & Heritage programme, supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, works with the community and volunteers to creatively interpret the building’s 175-year old history. The first phase of our online heritage collection, showcases the breadth and depth of the stories and histories that have been collected to date with oral histories, podcasts and a scrollable photographic timeline. Do take a look and browse through the performance timeline over the decades and then so share your stories and memories with us – it’s a developing online collection for which we have great ambitions.

Last month, we announced that the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical, a co-production of the first of our producing arm, Cornwall Playhouse Productions, which will raise the curtain on our multi-million pound transformation and form the foundation of our inaugural launch season.

When we are able, we aim to throw open our doors to host a number of open days, with social distancing measures if required, welcoming you, our community, and visitors alike, to look around and test our new venue ahead of reopening.

Whilst we all navigate our way through the months ahead, we are so glad to have you with us on our journey – ensuring we could achieve the ambitions Cornwall so keenly needs. We look forward to the positive impact our newly re-modelled theatre will make on the lives of people returning to culture, and on the economy of our region. Only with your support is this being made possible. Thank you.

Thanks to Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the government's Culture Recovery Fund, we can continue to be here for Culture, here for Heritage & here for Cornwall.

We are delighted to have heard today that we have been awarded a £2m Arts Council England grant from the Cultural Capital KickStart Fund, part of the Government's £1.57 billion package to protect the UK’s culture and heritage sectors from the economic impacts of Covid-19.

We are one of 74 organisations receiving grants totalling £58.9 million today. The Capital Kickstart fund was launched in August to help existing holders of Arts Council capital grants to complete building projects that would otherwise be stalled by the impacts of the pandemic.

Part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, the money is designed to cover increased costs relating to Covid-19, including extended completion dates and the loss of fundraising income.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has also confirmed today that it is providing an additional £231,000 to our Revealing City Hall heritage project, bringing its total investment to £2.8m to support the restoration and promotion of our building’s rich 175 year history and its importance as a civic and municipal space.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “This government promised it would be here for culture and today’s announcement is proof we’ve kept our word. The £1 billion invested so far through the Culture Recovery Fund has protected tens of thousands of jobs at cultural organisations across the UK, with more support still to come through a second round of applications. Today we’re extending a huge helping hand to the crown jewels of UK culture – so that they can continue to inspire future generations all around the world.” 

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England said “Today’s announcement is another vital step in securing the future of England’s cultural sector. Supporting capital projects will help to ensure that we maintain an innovative, sustainable cultural infrastructure that supports world class creative work, while the loans announced today will enable some of our largest and most prestigious cultural organisations to weather the effects of Covid-19 and reopen when it is safe to do so. The Arts Council is grateful to the Government for their support through the Culture Recovery Fund, and we are proud to support all the organisations receiving funding today.”

Truro and Falmouth MP Cherilyn Mackrory said: “This is a hugely important project for Cornwall and I’m delighted that Arts Council England is using some of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to offset the impacts of Covid-19. Once complete the Hall For Cornwall is expected to bring over £35m to the Cornish economy in the first five years and create 165 jobs, and play an important role in our post-pandemic economic recovery.”

In 2018, we shut our doors to embark on an ambitious transformation which has seen our Grade II listed building entirely gutted to make way for a greatly enlarged auditorium, new cafés, bars, and creative business space. When we started out on our journey, we could never have planned for the events of 2020 that have impacted all our lives.

Our project was hit by delays after the site was forced to shut down entirely for a month during the first lockdown, and since then has been impacted by social distancing rules, slowing construction and increasing costs. We had originally been due for completion this year but, as a result of the award, can now look forward to our reopening, aiming to stage our first major show – a world premiere – in September 2021.

Dame Rosemary Squire DBE, Co-Chair of trustees of Hall For Cornwall, said: “We warmly welcome this investment from the Government’s Cultural Capital Kickstart Fund. It is a vital contribution towards us realising the transformation of this well-loved theatre into a powerhouse for arts, culture and creativity for the whole of Cornwall, and we can’t wait to reopen our doors next year.”

Julien Boast, HFC’s Chief Executive and Creative Director, said: “We’ll soon be announcing details of our first major co-production for next year and we’re hugely grateful to Arts Council England for stepping in with this vital grant from the Cultural Capital KickStart Fund to cover extra Covid-related project costs. We’re also grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for an additional £231,000, which has also been announced today.

“The virus has delayed our reopening but that has only hardened our resolve to put together a fantastic programme of entertainment for our inaugural season. While we work towards completing the build we are continuing with our community activities across Cornwall, supporting local talent, young people and schools.”

Alan Davey CBE, Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Hall for Cornwall Board member, said: “The Hall For Cornwall is undergoing an extensive transformation that will make it a cornerstone of Cornwall’s cultural offer and an asset for all the community. This vital funding through Arts Council England will offset the impact of Covid-19 on the build and paves the way for a triumphant opening in 2021.”

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England said: "We are really pleased to announce seven awards from the Culture Recovery Fund: Capital Kickstart across the South West today. This latest tranche of funding to be announced from the Government’s generous package of support for the arts, culture and heritage sector ensures that many of the regions ambitious and ongoing cultural developments – that have been delayed due to Covid-19 – can now securely get back on track to reopening and serving their communities with fantastic cultural experiences.”

The pandemic has hilighted how much community matters and our new home will be a beacon for the county, playing a vital role in Cornwall's economic recovery. Our reimagined theatre will provide welcome spaces for schools and community groups and new backstage facilities will widen access, helping us to provide many more creative opportunities for young people and schools.

We're passionate about throwing open our doors next year and welcoming you all back to a new  theatre which has people, passion and possibility at its heart.

We are truly grateful to the partnership working of all our funders on this project which is being supported by Arts Council England, Cornwall Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, HM Treasury, the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, the European Regional Development Fund and an army of passionate and committed supporters.

We could never have envisaged, setting out on our far-reaching plans to restore and reimagine our theatre and its much-loved and Grade II listed home, the events of 2020 that have affected every part of all our lives. And for our sector, the impacts of Covid-19 are well-reported and cannot be understated. In spite of all recent challenges, I am very pleased to be contacting you with a project update in respect of your continued support of the transformation of Hall For Cornwall.

One of the by-products of the coronavirus lockdown has been the way in which performance has reached new audiences around the world as artists and institutions stream content to people starved of live performance. Here at the Hall, we’ve been doing our bit too, signposting visitors to our website to a weekly round-up of armchair entertainment from around the world and closer to home, including Life in Lockdown blogs from our HFC Youth members.

We’ve hosted Unlocked, a new online dance programme for our young dancers and their creative endeavours, and supported our many freelancers and artists with a mixture of weekly online drop-ins and bespoke 1-2-1- funding advice and guidance to help navigate this difficult time. Recently, we were able to start our youth theatre and dance groups in person again, and who would have thought that the social distancing ‘boxes’ we have marked out in tape on the floor could inspire so much creativity.

There is no doubt that we miss live performance and the energy that comes from being part of something together. It’s that shared experience which makes live theatre so magical. And it’s our passion to bring that experience to more people in Cornwall that is driving our transformation of the Hall For Cornwall.

Since we last reported on our redevelopment much has been achieved and those who have been fortunate to visit the construction works have found themselves breath-taken and quite visibly moved by the sight of our auditorium coming together. The performance space, and its associated offices, creative hub workspaces, bars and cafés, are all taking shape. We’ve had delivery of the first few seats to be fitted into the auditorium and are making final selections on other fixtures and fittings.

Despite being closed through the pandemic, we’ve not been immune to its effects. The impact of lockdown meant we lost a month of building work and since reopening the site our contractor has been operating at reduced capacity to comply with social distancing measures.

That has impacted both our timetable and our costs, and with the continued uncertainties around the pandemic, we are constantly reviewing when will be the best time to reopen next year. Spring 2021 has been our hope but with the recent talk of further potential lockdowns and the impact on lead times required by the quality shows we want to stage, we cannot commit to that with certainty. Like many therefore we are having to keep our options open and I will of course continue to keep you informed.

What we are sure of however is that we will be ready to raise the curtain whenever that time comes. Despite a longer period of closure than ever envisaged we have kept together our small but talented and committed team, and have continued to deliver our youth outreach work and the support we give to our associate artists and the wider creative sector.

We already have the makings of an exhilarating programme from across the theatrical spectrum for when we do reopen. We’re working closely with touring shows, musicians, comedians and other eagerly anticipated visitors to our stage who can’t wait to be on the road again and are excited to appear in our new auditorium in front of a passionate and loyal community, who every day tell us that they miss us. This reminds our whole team of why we set out on this project, and how the end goal will enrich the lives of our community on the other side of the current difficulties.

At the same time, the support of our funders and donors has been vital in enabling us to meet some of the increased costs of the project. At national government level we have secured support from the Getting Building Fund and we enjoyed a recent mention in the House of Commons by our local MP advocating for ‘our fantastic theatre on the brink of completion, serving the whole of Cornwall and acting as a beacon for the arts for the whole county’. We are also grateful for continued support at local authority level from Cornwall Council and of course to our cherished philanthropic and Trust & Foundation advocates. But we are nothing without you, our community, and I thank you for all your kindness and ongoing messages of support. Responses to our Name A Seat campaign have been incredible and I am humbled and overwhelmed by all of your dedications coming in from across Cornwall.

It’s been a tough year but as I reflect on our reopening next year, I look forward to the vital role we will play in Cornwall’s post-pandemic economic recovery, helping to bring jobs, footfall and vitality back to Truro city centre, and I hope lifting the hearts of everyone from across Cornwall along the way. We look forward to the day when we can open our doors to one and all once again.

Take care, stay safe and see you very soon.

Last but most certainly not least, we have come to our final Local Hero to be nominated and chosen to have a seat named after them in our brand new auditorium. It’s…. NICK DARKE.

Nicholas Temperley Watson Darke, known to all as Nick, was a playwright who was born in Cornwall. He was a passionate fisherman and wrecker ( beachcomber) and conservationist.

Nick was educated at St Merryn Primary School, Truro Cathedral School and Newquay Grammar School before training as an actor at the Rose Bruford College in Kent. After making his professional début in repertory at the Lyric, Belfast, he went on to learn his craft at the Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, where he acted in over eighty plays and directed several more. At Stoke he wrote his first full-length play, Never Say Rabbit in a Boat in 1977. He gave up acting to write full-time in 1978. Over the next twenty-eight years, he wrote twenty-seven plays which have been performed in theatres all over the world. He also wrote for radio, television and film.

Many of his plays reflect Cornish society and culture such as the tin mining, countryside, fishermen and the quirky nature of country living. During the later part of his career he worked regularly with the theatre company Kneehigh Theatre. His literary voice is very distinctive and although many of his characters, plots and settings are rooted in the Cornish past, his themes are often of relevance to the Cornwall of today. As one of his earliest reviews, in The Financial Times stated: “Darke gives shape to a Cornish identity that feels vital and real and has nothing to do with clay pipes and clotted cream”.

Nick sadly died in 2005 and his work has continued to be celebrated and performed by many. Indeed, in 2018/19 we produced a festival entitled NICK DARKE 70, celebrating Nick’s work and legacy in what would have been his 70th year. With a whole host of collaborators, we created new composite works Riots & Lobsters with Jim Carey and Darke Women with Bec Applebee, and also staged a musical version of Hell’s Mouth performed at HFC by our Youth Company and a new documentary film developed by Jane Darke.

We are thrilled to be able to honour and remember Nick in our new auditorium.

Our next local hero has a long running history with the Hall For Cornwall, playing a vital role in securing the future of our much loved theatre. HFC would not be complete without his name in it, so having a seat in our brand new auditorium named in his honour is….

DENNIS ARBON MBE

Former trustee of Hall For Cornwall Dennis Arbon was a passionate supporter of the arts and, in particular, of Hall For Cornwall. Initially appointed to the venue’s board in the late 1990’s and serving four years as Chair, his strong business and management skills helped secure the future of the fledgling theatre during a period of significant financial difficulties.

Having successfully obtained funding from the Arts Council and a commitment of support from the local authority, Dennis worked with new Director Tim Brinkman to provide a sustainable future for the theatre and develop a programme which showcased the very best of local talent as well as bringing national and international performers to the HFC stage.

In 2009 he gave Upton Towans, the St Ives beach which he had bought 20 years earlier to protect it from development, to Hall For Cornwall to help raise funds to support the theatre. The beach, which inspired the Virginia Woolf novel To a Lighthouse, was eventually sold at auction for £80,000.

In 2013 Dennis was awarded an MBE for his outstanding services and philanthropy to the arts and the community in Cornwall. Unfortunately he was too ill to travel to London to receive his award and so, fittingly, it was presented to him at a moving ceremony in the Hall For Cornwall building.

Having stood down as a trustee in 2007, Dennis continued to be a passionate supporter of HFC, accepting the honorary role of President and leaving the theatre a legacy in his will. He died on Sunday September 29th  2013.

“We are very pleased that our father, Dennis Arbon, has been honoured with a seat in the Hall for Cornwall.  He would have been delighted to be recognised as a “Local Hero”.  Although not originally from Cornwall he loved the county from an early age, first working there on a farm before doing his National Service.

On moving to Cornwall our parents took a keen interest in the artistic life around them. Later the opportunity came for our father to use his skills to help guide the re-development of the Hall in Truro.  He supported the need to provide a suitable venue for the audience in the South West to experience National and International performances.

He was always keen to support Cornish talent, especially the young musicians, drama performances and the choir festivals, not only giving them a platform in the Hall but also in venues across the County.

He would have been delighted to see the continued development of the Hall for Cornwall and we wish it every success.” Dennis Arbon’s Family

We are very pleased to be able to remember and honour Dennis in our brand new auditorium.