Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield: Iconic Mercury statue needs fixing due to cracks and rusting

The Lyceum Theatre’s statue of Mercury on Tudor Square needs some tender loving care as some visible – and not so visible – cracks have begun to appear, a planning report stated.

A statue condition report, submitted with the planning application to Sheffield City Council, said: “The statue appears to be made of fibreglass with a layer of paint on the outside that must contain copper flakes. Beneath the fibreglass skin of the statue, there is a steel frame that is visible through the cracks. The steelwork is rusting and the build-up of rust is pushing outwards against the fibreglass, which is what has caused the cracking.”

The cracks are apparently even worse and more extensive than it first looks. There are vertical cracks on both sides of the leg the statue is standing on, some of them up above the knee. The idea is that these cracks are caused by the rust – as there is not enough room for the rust to expand, the report added.

There is also extensive cracking in the base of the standing foot, also due to the rust. Some not-too-severe cracks were found higher up in the body of the statue and the non-standing leg.

The report, after showing some more cracks and holes on the ball too, stated: “Unfortunately all of the above adds up to the statue needing to come down for repairs. Given the fibreglass construction, it may well be possible to salvage the statue itself after surgery, but the internal framework needs to be removed and replaced with something that will not rust, and this would not be feasible in situ.

“In the meantime, we do not assess that there is any danger of catastrophic structural failure.”

The statue – or just Freddie for Sheffield folk – was crafted in 1990. It is a replica of the original statue that decorated the theatre during its early years. It is still unknown what happened to the original one but some claim it was removed when the former Theatre Royal opposite the Lyceum suffered a fire in 1935.

As the statue is grade II*-listed, Sheffield City Council must give the green light before any repairs are carried out. The application – and some more photos – can be found under 23/04074/LBC in the planning portal.

Officers have set February 22 as the target date for a decision.