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Sir Donald Sinden |
Sinden: We can save museum
Actor calls for major fund-raising effort to keep theatre artefacts in current home
SIR Donald Sinden believes the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden can be saved – despite owners Victoria and Albert Museum pulling the plug on the historic archive more than three months ago.
Sir Donald, speaking at the 10th Theatre Book Prize in the Russell Street site yesterday (Thursday), said he was “seething mad” at proposals to downsize the collection into four small rooms in Kensington gallery.
The V&A claims the museum – the nation’s only theatre museum – is too expensive to keep open.
In December they were locked in talks with Blackpool council about a possible move to Lancashire.
But following pressure from the high-profile lobby group, The Guardians of the Theatre Museum, they have been forced to rethink the switch.
The Theatre Guardians include Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE, Simon Callow CBE, Dame Judi Dench CH, Sir Richard Eyre CBE, Sir Peter Hall CBE, Sir David Hare, Sir Derek Jacobi CBE, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Joanna Lumley OBE, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Lady Macmillan, Peter O’Toole, Lynn Redgrave OBE, Vanessa Redgrave CBE, Sir Donald Sinden CBE and Zoë Wanamaker CBE.
The new plans will see a smaller version of the museum open in four rooms of the V&A gallery. But the Guardians say it is not enough.
Sir Donald, 84, one of the founders of the museum, called on theatre lovers to dig deep and “perform a miracle”.
They are trying to raise £600,000 to rent the space for the next two years.
Sir Donald said: “Unless a miracle happens, this will be the last Theatre Book Prize held here. The Victoria and Albert Museum has abdicated its responsibility for the site.
“It has broken its promise. In the future, if you want to see some of the magnificent collection of theatre materials – which we benefactors put together for the nation – you will have to wait until the four modest rooms in South Kensington become available. That, we are told, will be before 2010.
“There is a way to prevent this. We can produce that miracle. £600,000 is not very much money – in fact, it’s a rubbish amount.”
A spokesman for the V&A said: “We remain totally committed to safeguarding and displaying these collections which celebrate Britain’s unique theatrical heritage.”
Hary Potter star Daniel Radcliffe presented the Book Prize to John Heilpern for John Osbourne: A Patriot for Us.
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