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Page 1 of 3 The STAG, the traditional home of live theatre in Sevenoaks and now under new management, will be dark over Christmas. It seems like a real-life pantomime, but one which is far from certain to have a happy ending. In our four page exclusive report, John Morrison asks what’s really going on.
It sounds like a pub quiz question. Which Verdi heroine had to move from Sevenoaks to Tonbridge to commit suicide? For Kentish Opera, the health and safety requirement from the STAG theatre that Tosca should expire gently in a blackout rather than do her traditional leap off the battlements was the final straw which made them switch their October production from its traditional Sevenoaks venue to Tonbridge School theatre.
The STAG, the traditional home of live theatre in Sevenoaks and now under new management, will be dark over Christmas. But controversy is growing over its future and feelings are increasingly polarised. It seems like a real-life pantomime, but one which is far from certain to have a happy ending. Centre stage – hero or villain – is Australian entrepreneur Paul Corcoran, who started his digital cinema company Kino Holdings in Hawkhurst village hall.
Cheering the digital genie on from the wings is Sevenoaks District Council, which awarded him a 25-year contract last September to run the complex, including two small cinemas, a 454-seat theatre and a multi-purpose studio.
Leading the chorus of boos are most of the town’s drama and music groups, who say Mr Corcoran is difficult to work with and has effectively driven them out. To give Vine readers a balanced account of what’s going on, I’ve spoken at length to all the players in this drama with one exception – Mr Corcoran. I approached him by email, letter and telephone to invite him to outline his plans and reply to his critics, but got no response.
The STAG’s problems began long before Kino Holdings appeared on the scene in 2006. Several million pounds of council taxpayers’ money has been pumped into it since 1982, when the council bought a 900-seat Odeon cinema and handed it over to the Sevenoaks Theatre Action Group (STAG), led by Margaret Durdant-Hollamby.
Like the branch line in The Titfield Thunderbolt, the theatre survived on a shoestring, with legions of enthusiastic volunteers. It mainly served amateur groups but also hosted touring professional shows – everything from wrestling to the National Theatre, from Judi Dench to Ken Dodd.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 February 2008 )
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