Shanklin Theatre is the only Theatre with the benefit of a Fly Tower remaining on the Isle of Wight. The current Fly Tower was created in the early 1930s when the main auditorium was rebuilt following a fire that partially destroyed the original Shanklin Institute building.
The Theatre was saved from demolition by the Isle of Wight Council in 2010 when the Friends of the Theatre together with the Town Council were successful in negotiating a Community Asset Transfer of the Theatre, with Shanklin Theatre and Community Trust ultimately acquiring the freehold to the Theatre.
Once the Theatre was under the control of the Trust it set about establishing a programme of scheduled maintenance to reverse the issues caused by years of neglect and underinvestment. This programme identified issues with cracks in the Fly Tower, thought to be due to a combination of heavy load bearings and hoist vibration ultimately weakening the structure.
The Theatres Trust had been extremely supportive when Shanklin Theatre was working towards removal of Shanklin Theatre from the ‘Theatres at Risk’ register, so a grant of £5,000 towards the Fly Tower repairs was requested. The grant was made and the stabilisation repairs carried out in January 2015; the Fly Tower is once again fully functional.
SHANKLIN THEATRE FLY TOWER SHOWING CRACK
Plate 1 – General view of western wall with location and extent of crack. Note pulley systems, formed bolted fixing position (to right of crack) and curtain motor assembly.
Plate 2 – Enlarged view on crack.
Plate 5 – View on crack below steel beam.
Plate 6 – Further view on crack below steel beam, noting splay nature of crack.
SHANKLIN THEATRE FLY TOWER AFTER STRUCTURAL REPAIRS
Anthony Wood February 2015
