Leicester Haymarket to be brought back into use as dance school

It will pay the council a licence fee to cover the costs associated with reopening the building, which is due to happen only a month before the theatre celebrates its 50th anniversary on October 17. 

The licence with ADA will run for one year initially, but both parties will assess whether a longer-term arrangement is possible. 

City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Since the Haymarket Theatre closed during lockdown, we’ve been looking for a sustainable solution that will guarantee the future of this wonderful building. 

“Using the theatre as a teaching venue for dance and musical theatre students will bring the building back into use in the short-term and could even be part of a more permanent solution, so I’m really pleased to announce our partnership with Addict Dance Academy.” 

He explained that in the longer term he was “determined” to reopen the theatre to the public. 

“While that will require some further modest investment, to allow us to replace outdated equipment and carry out further upgrades, we remain committed to reopening the theatre fully and making sure that the lights stay on at this iconic Leicester landmark,” Soulsby continued. 

ADA founder and principal Gareth Chown said: “We’re already one of the largest performing arts colleges in Europe, with around 600 students on our books, but demand for our courses at both further and higher education level is huge. Last year, for example, we had to turn down applications from more than 1,000 would-be students because we just couldn’t accommodate them. 

“Having the Haymarket Theatre as our teaching base means there’s potential for us to expand our remit and work towards developing a wider range of complementary courses covering subjects such as sound, lighting, wardrobe and make-up.” 

Ongoing works are being done to complete the theatre’s entrance and lift area, which will continue until the end of next month, while work to prepare for ADA’s arrival is due to get underway soon.