Stage set for a bright future as Torquay's Lyceum lives again

While the Royal Lyceum Theatre already has a rich history dating back over 160 years, its story is far from concluded. Last week, we dived into this theatre’s curious past and colourful characters. Now, we look at its future with the ground-breaking Unleashed Theatre Company, which took the reins in 2022.

After being converted into a cinema by Odeon in 1935, Unleashed has brought the Royal Lyceum full circle, bringing theatre productions back to its stages for the first time in almost a century.

Beginning in the early 2000s, Unleashed Theatre Company was set up to enable Christians from various churches to come together to create and present professional-standard theatre productions.

The organisation’s founder, Martin Harris has worked in professional theatre and as a voiceover artist and actor in television.

However, Unleashed’s remit radically changed ten years ago. Martin had been a Street Pastor for several years and noticed a significant rise in the number of homeless people on Torquay’s streets.

“I felt a deep sense of sadness for these dear people and became really motivated to do something to help,” he said.

“As an actor and musician myself, I was passionate about the creative arts and knew how creative skills can empower people to feel a sense of accomplishment, self-respect and achievement whilst also developing techniques that can be transferable to practical interview and social skills.”

Martin approached Leonard Stocks Homeless Hostel to run a series of drama workshops and Unleashed Community Drama was born.

Since then, Unleashed Community Drama has gone from strength to strength. Every Thursday, between twenty and thirty-five participants attend sessions for fifty-one weeks of the year, all run by Martin and an army of volunteers.

The group welcomes individuals who have experienced homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges. It also welcomes ex-offenders, participants in the 12-step rehabilitation program and individuals with special needs and learning challenges. Hundreds have come through its doors and had their lives changed through the performing arts.

Martin said: “The majority of our volunteers now are actually people who have come in at club level, performed with us and decided they'd like to contribute. They've experienced some of the issues they're now helping to solve for others.”

The group has gone on to create scores of productions and win all kinds of awards.

In 2021, Unleashed released ‘The Rich and the Pure’, a feature film written and produced during lockdown. Based on the true story of how St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Torquay, came into being, the film told the story of austerity in the richest resort in the land, set in the 1840s.‘The Rich and the Pure’ went on to be nominated for Best Film at the London Short Awards in 2021 and honoured to win Best Screenplay at the 2022 Cannes Short Film Awards.

Another key production from Unleashed is their ‘Under One Roof’ production. Now in its fourth iteration, ‘Under One Roof' is a mix of music, comedy and drama, putting the issue of homelessness in Torbay under the spotlight, performed by a cast of almost a hundred people from all walks of life. For one night only, the popular event raises much needed funds for Unleashed.

Before the Royal Lyceum, Unleashed Theatre Company had been operating out of Endeavour House, but were looking for a permanent place to call home. In 2022, Merlin Cinemas, who had been occupying the Lyceum, were looking to move on from the property. Due to a covenant set by the Cary family over 160 years ago, the building legally had to continue to be used for entertainment purposes.

Martin explained: “We were running out of Endeavour House and were looking to get a place. We were looking at one of the shop fronts but it wasn’t really working. When we approached Merlin, they were very keen, the covenant meant that it was going to be hard to sell it to developers, so we were a great fit.”

A historic treasure now surrounded by deprived areas of Torbay, Unleashed was the ideal group not only to restore the theatre to its former glory but also to rejuvenate the neighbourhoods around it. Now, they have big plans for the future.

After  getting through the door however, the Unleashed team realised that the task of restoring the Royal Lyceum would not be one that could be done overnight.

Paul Martin, Unleashed’s Operations Manager explained: “There have been successive owners who have engaged in cultural vandalism. The main auditorium originally had a big domed painted ceiling that was ripped out by Odeon and a lot of the original features have been lost. In the main auditorium, there was only one light that worked.  

“The electrical fittings were a major concern because when we arrived, we couldn’t locate an up to date electrical safety report. So we had one conducted and the place was promptly shut down!”

“It was a fire hazard waiting to happen,” Martin added.

Tens of thousands of pounds and hours of painstaking work were ploughed into the main theatre room.

A stage and lights have been fitted and the whole theatre has been completely rewired. The bulk of the upstairs part of the theatre is now in a much more hospitable state, and the famous smell has gone! More upto the standard that Unleashed’s top-end productions demand.

Head downstairs, however, and you step into another era. Much of the bottom part of the building hasn’t changed since the 1950s. Torches are required to see the antique boiler, about the size of a small car.

Just metres from Torquay’s high street, there’s hand-painted wallpaper and gas lamps from the days when it was the original theatre in the 1930s. Echos of the past are everywhere, such as the period electrical system and the original box office.

Paul said: “This is part of Torbay's heritage which people don't realise. It’s sad to see it in this state but we’re bringing it back. We will be refurbishing it, reintroducing it, and it will be used again.”

Unleashed has big plans for this bottom part of the theatre, to open it up for the benefit of the community. Since restoring the theatre, Unleashed's first big project is to raise £60,000 to install a kitchen and develop the hospitality features in the building.

However, a community cafe, a conference room, a new performance space, an art studio and units for small businesses and charities are all on the agenda.

Martin said: “We've been up and running for about 24 years, and we're able to offer the service that we do. But our vision for this place is so incredible that we could offer so much more. It could become a real beacon right at the heart of Torquay. To have a really vibrant arts hub in one of the most deprived areas of the Bay, that's the dream.”