Concrete fears keep Dartford theatre closed until at least November
The potentially dangerous RAAC at the Orchard will now need to be replaced and the theatre might remain shut during the pantomime period.
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00:00 The Orchard Theatre in Dartford, many here say it's the heart of their community.
00:06 But the doors remain shut after a recent survey found potentially dangerous concrete in the ceiling would need replacing.
00:13 Initially it was hoped a phased approach would be possible, but now it's left all performances suspended until at least the start of November.
00:22 Bestage Door is a popular pub next to the venue and the landlord here says that closure is costing him £2,000 a week.
00:32 We've got to keep going as long as we can because this is where I live. I don't just lose a business, I lose somewhere to live.
00:39 The council have said that they will provide some support in the form of sponsoring evenings to go on in the pub.
00:50 But at the moment it's just words and we're already feeling the impact.
00:57 This weekend they'll be hosting a community event in a bid to regain lost revenue, but they're not meant to be the main venue in town.
01:07 It's just a different venue isn't it for other people. I do think it'd be a bad loss.
01:13 I think it's quite important. I come from Blackfeyn near Sidcup and we've got nothing really much around there.
01:21 I think there's one just opening in Sidcup very recently, but other than that this is probably the nearest theatre.
01:28 When this theatre was built in 1983, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete was considered safe.
01:38 For us in our lab it wouldn't have come up as an issue because it would first of all become an issue and then raised as an awareness
01:48 and then a research project would be brought in to be looking at it.
01:52 However, it wasn't brought up in my time of working there, it wasn't brought up as an issue and something that needed to be investigated into.
02:01 The Orchard is owned by Dartford Borough Council. No one was available for an interview today, but in the past they've said they've carried out regular surveys of the building.
02:11 The local authority also says they're exploring ways to support local businesses.
02:17 The theatre's closure has already seen around about 25 performances cancelled or postponed according to their programme.
02:24 Now, everyone is hoping that the doors will be back open in time for December. That's because it's the pantomime.
02:31 40 performances are scheduled across December.
02:34 So, would it be a beauty of a Christmas or a beast of a Christmas for the Orchard Theatre?
02:40 Gabriel Morris for KMTV in Dartford.