History of the Coliseum
O
ldham Coliseum is a building-based producing theatre. It has a capacity in its main auditorium of 524 seats; in addition the theatre has a studio with a capacity of 50 seats. The company produces 8 shows a year on its main stage, offering a balanced programme of drama, comedy, musical, new writing and the annual pantomime. In addition to in-house produced work on the main stage the theatre also takes in 4 weeks of touring theatre as well as around 15 non-theatre performances including music dance and stand up. Coliseum@ an offshoot to the theatre’s building based productions promotes a programme of theatre at three community venues.
History:
The Coliseum Theatre dates back to 1885 and began life as a Grand American Theatre. Situated in the heart of Oldham and surrounded by almost a dozen other theatres, almost 125 years later, the award winning Coliseum is the only surviving theatre in the town.
Development:
The Oldham Coliseum Theatre has developed greatly since its humble beginnings and now offers not only a varied programme of productions but also an extensive selection of Education and Outreach activities for the local communities of Oldham and Greater Manchester.
Past performers include:
Judith Barker
Dora Bryan
Charlie Chaplin
Minnie Driver
Ralph Fiennes
Dame Thora Hird
Anne Kirkbride
William Roache
Kathy Staff
Eric Sykes
Claire Sweeney
Kenneth Alan Taylor
