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Category Archives: BH Live
Croydon in crisis: Contractors in £9m row over Fairfield Halls
EXCLUSIVE: The council’s blundering house-builders Brick by Brick face the threat of a multi-million-pound legal action in a payments dispute over the refurbishment of the town centre’s arts venue. By STEVEN DOWNES The building contractors who carried out the refurbishment … Continue reading
80 casual staff laid off as Fairfield Halls goes ‘into hibernation’
EXCLUSIVE: Our unfurloughed arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on dark times for Croydon’s major arts venue Fairfield Halls’ casual staff, who have been furloughed since the arts venue closed its doors for the coronavirus lockdown in March, have been told that … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls
4 Comments
Facing uncertain future, Fairfield Halls returns all its pianos
The Fairfield Halls had the removal men in yesterday – taking away the arts venue’s pianos. Inside Croydon understands that the pianos – nine in total, including two grand pianos – have been returned to their makers after the venue … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Music, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Theatre
Tagged BHLive, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Neil Chandler, Phoenix Pianos
7 Comments
Culture deals with covid-19 without making a song and dance
The sense of doom and gloom caused by the covid-19 pandemic had well and truly taken hold of London by the middle of last week. There was a dark humour about the place reflected by the public address system at … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Cinema, Croydon Bach Choir, Croydon Male Voice Choir, Croydon Philharmonic Choir, David Lean Cinema Campaign, Fairfield Halls, Music, Talawa Theatre Company, Theatre, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon
Tagged Ashcroft Theatre, BHLive, Croydon Council, Croydon Male Voice Choir, David Lean Cinema, Fairfield Halls, London Borough of Croydon, Save the David Lean Campaign, Theatre Workshop Coulsdon
1 Comment
Big claim lands Fairfield Halls in bother with Authority
In the latest embarrassing blow for the council-owned arts centre, the Fairfield Halls has received a warning from the Advertising Standards Authority over repeatedly making misleading and false claims to be “south London’s biggest arts centre”. The official reproach ought … Continue reading
Posted in BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London, Tony Newman
5 Comments
Seconds out: Operator hopes wrestling will boost Fairfield Halls
EXCLUSIVE: The art venue’s director quit in a dispute over dumbing down of its programme in a bid to boost ticket sales, reports BELLA BARTOCK, who has discovered that BHLive are recruiting for Neil Chandler’s replacement, but offering a lesser … Continue reading
Fairfield Halls needs to be more London, and less Bournemouth
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Could Brit Awards-winner Stormzy help to save the Fairfield Halls? Following Inside Croydon’s exclusive news report yesterday that Neil Chandler, the venue’s artistic director, had quit amid growing concerns about poor audiences in the first six months since … Continue reading
Posted in Art, BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Music, Neil Chandler, Theatre
Tagged BHLive, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Stormzy
6 Comments
Fairfield Halls director quits less than six months after opening
EXCLUSIVE: A £42.6m white elephant without its mahout? Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, reports on the most dramatic of exits from the Fairfield Halls Neil Chandler has left the building. The Fairfield Halls’ venue and artistic director has left his … Continue reading
‘Lack of trust’ sees arts venue selling just 26% of tickets
With the Fairfield Halls refurbishment costs now confirmed as £42.6m, and still rising, the venue is struggling to win back its audiences, as KEN LEE reports The costs of refurbishing the Fairfield Halls rose by another £1.6million in just five … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Jo Negrini, Neil Chandler, Sean Fitzsimons
Tagged BH Live, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Jo Negrini, Labour, Leila Ben-Hassel, London Borough of Croydon, Neil Chandler, Sean Fitzsimons
10 Comments
Croydon is named London’s ‘Borough of Culture’ for 2023
Croydon has been named London Borough of Culture for 2023. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, announced the decision at City Hall this morning. The “prize” is an additional £1.35million funding from the Mayor towards the borough’s cultural programme. At … Continue reading
Posted in Amy Lamé Limited, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Dance, Fairfield Halls, Mayor of London, Music, Sadiq Khan, Theatre, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon Council, Labour, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman
7 Comments
Newman plays a numbers game and exposes his short-comings
Could a Town Hall chamber boast by the bungling council leader have managed to reveal that the Fairfield Halls’ prestigious panto struggled to sell tickets? Oh yes it did… Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, reports Tony Newman gets yet another … Continue reading
Posted in Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Comedy, Dance, Fairfield Halls, Music, Neil Chandler, Theatre, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Private Eye, Tony Newman
2 Comments
Newman fails to deny that Fairfield Halls bill has reached £60m
The refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls could end up costing Croydon’s Council Tax-payers £60million – or even more. And there are fears within the town’s arts circles that BH Live, the events and management firm brought in by venue owners … Continue reading
Posted in Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Paula Murray, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman
Tagged Ashcroft Theatre, BHLive, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Tony Newman, Tory
7 Comments
After £41m+ spend: art centre has no gallery space for art
An arts society formed in the borough 150 years ago faces an uncertain future as it has emerged that after spending more than £41m on refurbishing the Fairfield Halls, in a display of incompetence stunning even by Croydon’s usual standards, … Continue reading
Posted in Arnhem Gallery, Art, BH Live, Chris Clark, Community associations, Croydon Art Society, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Paula Murray
Tagged Chris Clark, Croydon Art Society, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Tony Newman
6 Comments
We went to the Fairfield. It will be a while before we go again
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The re-opening of the Fairfield Halls last week, after a refurbishment that took nearly four years and cost £41million, has met with some decidedly lukewarm reactions from Croydon residents and theatre-goers. Here reader DICK BUDGEN gives his first … Continue reading
Unfinished and incomplete: where’s Fairfield £41m been spent?
And… Breathe! The Fairfield Halls has finally re-opened, with a gala concert planned for tonight. But after over-running by 15 months and over-spending by £11million, the refurbishment is not yet finished and is incomplete. Our photo-journalist, DANNY LEIBOVITZ, reports It … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Brick by Brick, CODA, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Paul Scott, Riesco Collection, Theatre, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, BH Live, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Oliver Lewis, Tony Newman
16 Comments
What’s in a name? Ashcroft Theatre is sign of commonsense
Our arts critic, BELLA BARTOCK, on how pointless meddling with an established venue’s name could be a cause of marketing confusion There’s been something of a victory for commonsense, for the views of local councillors and, it has to be … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Theatre
Tagged Ashcroft Theatre, BHLive, Croydon, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler
4 Comments
Will long-delayed Fairfield Halls re-open on time? ‘It’s got to’
Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, donned a hi-viz jacket and hard hat to check on the progress being made on the £41million-plus project on the borough’s arts centre, where the first month’s programme runs from royalty to Redknapp No expense … Continue reading
Who’d pay £50 to see Barry from accounts as Max Bialystock?
It may be more than a year late in re-opening, and is at least £11million over budget, but that hasn’t stopped the operators at the Fairfield Halls from continuing to pursue their pointless exercise of re-naming the Ashcroft Theatre. Workmen … Continue reading
Black theatre group handed studio space at Fairfield Halls
A renowned black drama group, the Talawa Theatre Company, has been given offices and use of a 200-seat studio theatre at the refurbished Fairfield Halls in Croydon when it reopens in September. The building will enable black artists “to make … Continue reading
What a joke! Fairfield bookings open ahead of website launch
Tax-dodger Jimmy Carr is one of a handful of headline acts who will be performing at the Fairfield Halls next year. Provided, of course, that the much-delayed refurbishment project is finished in time. The Fairfield Halls management had promised a … Continue reading
Posted in BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler
Tagged BHLive, Fairfield Halls, Jimmy Carr, Neil Chandler
3 Comments
Fairfield Halls chief tells councillors not to ask questions
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE reports on how the manager hired to run the Fairfield Halls won’t tolerate questions about the venue from the borough’s elected representatives Neil Chandler, the former cruise ship entertainments officer who has been placed in charge … Continue reading
Joy to the world: Please don’t wreck our Arnhem Gallery
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on a rare outbreak of critical thinking in the council chamber, as one councillor spells out for the Fairfield Halls management the blatant imbecility of one of their proposed name changes At last, a Labour councillor … Continue reading
Posted in Arnhem Gallery, Art, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Joy Prince, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis
Tagged Arnhem Gallery, Fairfield Halls, Joy Prince, Labour, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Waddon
1 Comment
Venue manager announces FIFTH opening date for Fairfield
September 16 2019: That’s now the date when the venue managers are telling anyone who is still listening that the Fairfield Halls will re-open. By our reckoning, that’ll will be the fifth re-opening date announced since the Halls, which include … Continue reading
Posted in Art, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Neil Chandler, Tony Newman
Tagged BHLive, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, Tony Newman
8 Comments
Now Fairfield operators want to re-name the Ashcroft Theatre
Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on the latest piece of meddling going on around the much-delayed arts venue’s refurbishment Neil Chandler, the former cruise ship entertainments officer who has been placed in charge of the Fairfield Halls’ artistic programme has … Continue reading
People of Arnhem say ‘We won’t change Croydonplein’s name’
The good burghers of Arnhem, Croydon’s twin town in the Netherlands, won’t be changing the name of Croydonplein, the residential square in the town centre, regardless of how the Fairfield Halls might discard part of this borough’s heritage by renaming … Continue reading
