Western Morning News (Saturday)
Hall’s larger auditorium named ahead of reopening
HALL for Cornwall has revealed its new auditorium will be named Cornwall Playhouse – Gwariji Kernow.
The announcement, which coincided with St Piran’s Day yesterday, Cornwall’s annual day of celebration, was officially made by Cornwall Council leader Julian German during a sociallydistanced naming ceremony at the theatre.
Also attending was the Grand Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Elizabeth Carne, Melennek, in celebration of the theatre’s importance as a place for promoting Cornish heritage and culture.
Hall for Cornwall, Truro’s listed former City Hall, is undergoing a multimillion pound transformation with a new three-tiered, 1,352 capacity auditorium at its heart and will reopen later this year.
Mr German said: “Over the last five years, Cornwall Council is proud to have unlocked £93 million to invest in growing and strengthening Cornwall’s cultural sector.
The Hall for Cornwall redevelopment is a cornerstone of that activity which will truly enrich Cornwall’s cultural life and creative economy.
“This redevelopment will reawaken the beauty and history of City Hall, opening up the building and welcoming people and creative potential from across Cornwall. I am delighted that Cornwall Council has been able to support the redevelopment.”
The Grand Bard added: “I am thrilled to see this wonderful new auditorium, showcasing the historic features of this important building, and I look forward to seeing Gwariji Kernow, the Cornwall Playhouse, promoting a range of Cornish culture in the years to come.”
The new auditorium will have better sight-lines, acoustics and 300 more seats, giving capacity to attract high quality performances.
Improved cafe, bar and public spaces will make the venue more welcoming, and a creative digital business hub will firmly root the theatre as a space to inspire and create.
Hall for Cornwall hopes to attract over 300,000 visitors a year, boosting post-pandemic footfall in Truro city centre.
Julien Boast, CEO and creative director at Hall for Cornwall, said: “We are excited to announce Cornwall Playhouse as the new name for our magnificently transformed auditorium on this special day which celebrates Cornwall’s rich cultural tradition and heritage, and which has people, passion and possibility at its heart.
“While Hall for Cornwall remains the name of our venue and the mark of quality and experience in all that we do, whether you’re visiting our theatre, being supported as an artist or participating in one of our youth workshops, Cornwall Playhouse will be home to our new stage programme where our motto will always be ‘Seriously Entertaining’.”
Today also sees the launch of Hall for Cornwall’s new website and its digital heritage collection, alongside its new identities for its education, community and artist support programmes.
Last month, Hall for Cornwall announced that the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical, a co-production of its new producing arm, Cornwall Playhouse Productions, would raise the curtain on its multimillion pound transformation and form the foundation of the theatre’s inaugural launch season.
The Grade II listed Hall for Cornwall, which operates as a charity, closed its doors in 2018 for the start of a major regeneration.
It was originally planned to reopen in the autumn of 2020 and then spring 2021, but construction delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic means it will open later this year.