The local authority has confirmed that the Kenneth More Theatre was closed in 2024 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was identified in the roof during a structural assessment, the council said. The closure followed the assessment and was announced as part of ongoing safety and maintenance activity overseen by the authority.
Redbridge Council said it had invested more than £1 million in works to remove RAAC and to refurbish the building. The council said the works included new seating, redecoration and new carpets, and that these elements formed part of the remedial and improvement programme carried out on the fabric of the theatre.
Scope of removal and refurbishment
The council described the investment as covering both the removal of RAAC from the roof and a series of interior upgrades intended to renew parts of the public areas and auditorium. The authority said the programme included, among other items, replacement of seating and the refresh of decoration and floor coverings.
- The council said the removal work focused on RAAC elements identified during the structural assessment.
- The council said refurbishment activities included new seating within the auditorium.
- The council said redecoration and new carpeting were installed as part of the interior updates.
Planned reopening and forthcoming programme
Redbridge Council said the theatre is planned to reopen in December 2026. The council characterised that date as a planned reopening and set it separately from the description of removal and refurbishment works, indicating that the timetable for public use remains a future milestone following the completion of building work.
The council also said a special pantomime is planned for spring 2027. The authority presented that event as part of the theatre’s intended post-reopening programme, signalling an aim to return to community and public performances after the planned reopening date.
Context and implications
The council’s statements linked the identification of RAAC during a structural assessment to the decision to close the building in 2024 and to the subsequent decision to commission removal and refurbishment work. The council characterised the funding and the specific items of work as measures taken to address the identified material and to renew the interior of the theatre.
As described by the council, the funding for removal and refurbishment amounted to more than £1m. That figure and the list of physical works were attributed directly to the council; the authority supplied those details when outlining the steps taken to make the building safe and to prepare it for future use.
The council framed the planned December 2026 reopening and the spring 2027 pantomime as future events that would follow the current phase of building works. The distinction between completed or ongoing physical works and the planned dates for public reopening was emphasised by the council in its account.
Local users and organisations will have to await confirmation from the council that the building works are complete and that the venue is ready to reopen to the public. The authority’s planned timetable sets out when it expects the theatre to return to use, but the council has presented those points as plans to be achieved following the remedial and refurbishment programme.
Looking ahead, the council said it intends to bring the venue back into operation on the planned timetable and to stage the proposed pantomime in spring 2027, subject to the completion of works and any further checks or approvals required before public reopening.
