Leeds City Council set to pump £5m into £14m West Yorkshire Playhouse revamp

multi-million pound plans have been drawn up to transform the “dated, dull and impenetrable” West Yorkshire Playhouse.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Jul 2015, 18:16 BST
West Yorkshire Playhouse was branded 'dated, dull and impenetrable'West Yorkshire Playhouse was branded 'dated, dull and impenetrable'
West Yorkshire Playhouse was branded 'dated, dull and impenetrable'

Theatre bosses want to create a striking new entrance facing the city centre, along with new performance and community spaces.

In a bid to boost Leeds’s hopes of being named European Capital of Culture for 2023, the new-look venue could also be renamed ‘Leeds Playhouse’.

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A report to Leeds City Council’s executive board said: “The feedback from audiences, city leaders and other cultural organisations is that the current building is dated, impenetrable and dull, likened to a leisure centre.”

It added: “The redevelopment of the theatre would be at the heart of the regeneration of the east of the city, creating a landmark building and a stunning cultural destination.”

The Playhouse has undergone few changes since it moved to the Quarry Hill site in 1990.

The executive board is being asked to agree to £4.9m in council funding to add to £6.6m from Arts Council England and £2.5m from theatre funds.

Related topics:Leeds City CouncilLeedsArts Council England