An Interview with Alan Everett

Last week, we were fortunate enough to gain access to the Novello so our surveyor and architect team could inspect the building and report back on the scale of work required. The good news is the building itself is in decent shape – it is suffering from neglect more than any major structural concern. Everyone in the team who has been fortunate enough to gain access to the building has been blown away by the potential – what an asset we have, sitting on our High Street!

So here is a behind the scenes view, courtesy of our appeal coordinator, Alan Everett. Our sincere thanks to Mark Holliday for the photography.

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So Alan, you had another opportunity to look round the Novello last week. Can you paint a picture for everyone on what is behind those famous closed doors?!

Gosh, where to start?! Well, I think the easiest way to visualise what we have in the Novello, is to picture a bone fide, theatre-in-miniature … although it isn’t that miniature! In fact, it is a bit of a tardis and, once you get inside, one of the things that strikes you is the length of the building – it stretches on and on.

But let me walk you through it, front to back, and give you a sense of what it is like. When you first enter, you have a proper theatre/Picture House foyer, complete with bathrooms, baby changing and – I know this will appeal to few out there! – a little café/bar space. Unfortunately, the flooring leaves a bit to be desired as it has been covered in something that resembles playschool rubber-style matting. But of course, that is easily fixed!

Passing through a curtain into the auditorium, you start to get a sense of the scale. There is a large, sloped floor, perfect for theatre seating – although unfortunately, all the seats themselves seem to have been removed (we haven’t got to the bottom of where they disappeared to… at least, not yet!). There is also a lighting/tech booth in the back of the auditorium which is where I imagine the original cinema reels and screening technology was housed. And the walls of the auditorium have been painted in panto-esque frescos – I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves here because I’m not sure words do it justice!

Moving onto the stage, the one word to describe it is “large”! It really is a professional, fully functioning stage with the rigging and core structures in place (albeit in need of work) to host larger scale productions. And if we had fully retractable staging, then the floor space is versatile and could be used to hold classes for example (offering more flexibility than we had first thought with the sloping auditorium floor).

Finally, dropping down behind the stage, there is a workshop/green room area along with two sets of male and female changing facilities and bathroom.

All-in-all, it is marvellous!

And was there anything there that surprised you?

Every time I go in there, I learn something new. But the chief ‘surprise’ this rime round was the orchestra pit! There is boarding that covers the gap between the stage and the auditorium floor, but we hadn’t realised that it can be easily removed to reveal a bespoke area for musicians. We also found a stage trapdoor – need to ascertain if that is functioning or not! – and the back of the stage has full-size sliding doors linking to the green room which could be incredibly useful in putting on some more ambitious shows. Otherwise, it looks rather like a theatre where the cast have up and abandoned the final show… there are old ballet shoes and bits of costume lying in the wings, a piano and former props in the Green Room and the roll-call and stage directions from previous performances stuck on the walls. It is both exciting and nostalgic all at the same time.

If you had a magic wand and could transform the Novello tomorrow, how do you think it could be used?

Ah, if only! I think people may be afraid to put me in sole control of a magic wand! But how would I use it?

Well, I think it is designed first and foremost as a theatre or picture house so making the best use of the inherent structure makes sense. We can offer our vibrant local theatre and singing groups additional space as well as hosting cinema screenings like the old days and putting on other events such as music recitals or comedy performances. But given it operates as a fully functioning theatre, it would also be rather lovely for local schools to have the opportunity to experience running a full show from front of house, to lighting, to prop design, cafe and backstage etc. I’d love for schools and youth / amateur groups to gain suchexperience without spending a huge amount of money.

Aside from that, the size of the stage means local groups could hold exercise classes such as yoga, ballet or pilates. And if we could have the café in the front of house running too, then that would give people a place to meet and refresh after.

And we mustn’t forget that we have the excellent Cordes Hall next door, which is separated from the Novello by less than a metre. Ideally, we want to maximise the built-in theatre and cinema benefits but also make use of the wider facilities – including Cordes Hall – so together, they offer a flexible space and can operate for different groups at different times of the day.

And what about the repairs required? Is there anything that worries or concerns you?

Well, there’s no two ways about it – the hall is in a state of disrepair and work needs to be done to bring it back into viable working order. What would have been a concern is if the surveyors found any immediately significant obstacles such as major structural challenges. But, as it is, the hall is in good nick for a building of its age.

Practically, it needs interior work such as re-wiring, a new heating system and a serious tidy and paint job. We would also look to install cladding to the outside and inside walls to improve insulation and bring the building in line with modern construction standards. We would also like to draw inspiration from the original design – you can see an image of this below–and would be looking to restore the façade to resemble the stunning original design.

I can picture in my mind what an attraction and charming addition this would be on our Sunninghill High Street.

Any final message for the supporters reading this?

That has to be a heartfelt thank you for all you have done so far to keep this dream alive. We are so appreciative of the offers of help and how so many people in the local community have stepped up and made their feelings known – it really does make a difference. My hope is that one day soon, you won’t need to read this and instead, the Novello Picture House becomes a place for everyone to experience and enjoy.