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Waterside Theatre is a step up from Civic
There is just over a month until the Waterside Theatre opens in Aylesbury and there is a real sense of excitement building up in the town.
The theatre may have cost more than was originally proposed, but as far as the building itself goes, it is difficult to criticise the vision of Aylesbury Vale District Council – or indeed architect Norman Bragg.
A landmark has been created right in the centre of town, a venue that simply demands your attention.
It will no doubt win regional, national and perhaps even international awards, putting Aylesbury firmly on the map.
Of course, the bold design is not to everyone's taste, but at least something has been created which is truly memorable and iconic, not a bland modern building that is as inoffensive as it is forgettable.
And the photos inside this newspaper of the theatre's magnificent interior will no doubt leave many people itching to step into the spectacular auditorium for themselves.
Once the rest of the Waterside scheme is built, including the restoration of the canal basin, Aylesbury will have a stunning new entertainment hub on its doorstep.
All this means there can be no excuse for the theatre not being a huge success.
The Ambassador Theatre Group has been given an impressive venue with which to entice the top shows and performers.
Their opening season is a good start, with a nice blend of musicals, comedy acts, operas and ballets and of course a famous celebrity in Cilla Black headlining the all-important panto.
But the acid test will only come in a couple of years' time, when the theatre is not the newest kid on the block.
Hopefully by then the Waterside will have built up a sterling reputation, both as a beautiful place to perform, and for having enthusiastic and welcoming audiences.
And hopefully, too, the difficult transition between the old Civic Centre and the Waterside will also be forgotten.
There is no doubt that community organisations are finding the new theatre too expensive to hire and there will be less provision for am-drams.
But Waterside is not the Civic Centre Mark II and Ambassadors should not be expected to run it as so.
While the much-loved Civic was great for small-scale productions, it was wholly inadequate for the top West End shows that the majority of people in the town want to see.
Waterside has the potential to make Aylesbury famous as a top-notch entertainment destination – and if that does happen the Civic will just be a distant memory.
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Weather for Aylesbury
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
