Oldham Coliseum Theatre

Wow, what a fabulous theatre this is! I feel gutted that I only visited for the first time last night to see Simon Brodkin (who was amazing) and now it's closing down in just a couple of weeks. A very warm and intimate theatre.This is clearly a very special place with such a storied history, it's a credit to Oldham and it's a crying shame Oldham council and Arts Council England are just letting it slip out of existence now. It should be saved!

Wow. I had never been here before. Came to see the pantomime and first impressions from outside and the entrance were not good. Inside and the performance were great, I would definitely come.back and have recommended. Kids loved it.

44 yrs living in Oldham, and visited for the 1st time. Watched Robin Hood with wife and kids. Arrived early, and visited the very reasonably priced bar, with their quick and polite staff. All staff throughout were extremely pleasant. Seats were comfortable As with all kids, toilet trips were made in abundance, and there were plenty to choose from wherever we were at. On entry and exit via the main doors with steps, I did notice that staff were offering elderly an alternative set of doors that didn't require then using steps. All in all a very pleasant experience. Will be looking at visiting again soon.

I had never been to this theatre before but was very pleasantly surprised. Lovely decor and facilities, really friendly and helpful staff. I went to see Don't Turn My Life Into a Musical, the young actor's and cast were superb. I don't usually like musicals but this was slick, polished, great imagery and lesson's in life were the foundation of this production. I must recommend the Oldham Theatre Workshop to my family and friends for it's positive contribution to the theatre and young people's development.

You just can't beat it. Pantomime at Christmas.Now, it is a traditional visit to shout at the baddies and cheer for the goodies.A real gem of a place that, regardless of what is on, should be on your list to visit.See you next year

It was OK, I won't be back until Oldham has sorted out its roads and diversions and built the larger modern theatre with an accessible car park. Been there, seen the historic building so done that. I was impressed by the audience - great folk warmly appreciating the performance so sorry there's going to be a hiatus.

Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period classic in theatre terms, and has seen the likes of local performers such as Eric Sykes, Charlie Chaplin, Dame Thora Hird and Dora Bryan tread its boards.The history of the theatre can be traced back to 1885. It was originally intended to be a permanent home for the Great American Circus, then based on Henshaw Street, but the owner of the circus, Mr Myers, was unable to pay for the completed work. Following a court case, ownership of the building was granted to Thomas Whittaker, the carpenter who had performed the work. Whittaker decided to open the Coliseum as a theatre and the first production was called Culver's Circus.[citation needed] Other notable owners of the theatre include Paul Yates, founder and owner of Yates' Wine Lodge.During its time, the Coliseum has opened and closed doors on numerous occasions. In 1911, in a bid to compete with the rising trend of cinema, the theatre began to show silent films in between productions. In 1918, it was bought by Dobie's Electric Theatres. In 1931 it was converted into a cinema, but its life a cinema was short-lived as the recession of 1932 hit hard and it closed its doors within 12 months. It stood empty until 1939 when a local group called The Oldham Playgoers Club were successful enough to sign the lease on the building and stage their own productions.The theatre is said to be one of the most haunted theatres in Britain. In 1947, actor Harold Norman, who was non-suspicious and refused to follow theatrical tradition when it came to The Scottish Play, died after being stabbed by a sword whilst playing the title character in Macbeth.The theatre was features in a 2004 episode of the TV series Most Haunted.The theatre was renovated in 2012.[