Lifetime venue

I have been visiting Clair Hall for as long as I can remember and I can’t picture my life without it.

My mum took me to see the pantomime there every year. I know there are other pantos and other venues, but the fact that it was local people performing - who I often knew from their day jobs - is what made the performances so special. Even one of my primary school teachers was in them which always brought me joy!

When leaving primary school, we did a special performance at Clair Hall (I’m pretty sure some of my classmates sang “Livin’ on a Prayer” which they’d had to learn a dance routine to). I can’t quite remember why but I remember it being an emotional moment, and it is one of the last memories I have of my time in primary education.

The first time I saw a musical was at Clair Hall. We saw Legally Blonde and it was absolutely marvellous! My family isn’t very well off, so we couldn’t afford to go see shows in London at big fancy theatres, but Clair Hall gave me a taste of the magic of musicals. It became an oddly formative moment for me.

Then we had the comedy shows! Goodness, they were fabulous! Of course, there were some comedy club nights that weren’t to my personal taste, but Clair Hall gave me a chance to see so many comedians that I could previously only dream of seeing. My mum and I are huge stand up comedy fans, and Clair Hall gave us an affordable way to go out for an evening and spend time together enjoying some comedy. We would go every month and would always have orange and passionfruit J2Os - it was our little treat. We went so frequently we began to get to know the other comedy club regulars and feel like a part of a physical community (a rare commodity in the age of the smart phone).

I know Clair Hall is not the most fancy venue, but it is the heart of a community. It’s a place where families, friends, neighbours, and strangers can share experiences. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve sang along, I’ve screamed “BEHIND YOU” at the top of my lungs there. If Clair Hall really must go, it must be replaced by a new and improved community centre, not just demolished and forgotten. We need a space like this where we can truly connect and be a community.