Twenty-eight years ago, Sheila and Ray Kelly went to the Beck Theater for the first time to see their son, Stuart, as one of the twins in Peter Pan. The couple quickly fell in love with the theater and began going much more often.
Now, almost three decades later, they are recognized by many and loved by everyone at Beckteatern as the most regular and delightful customers. Since 1996, the couple has made friends and companions in the theater and enjoyed thousands of fantastic evenings. But flash forward to 2024, and Sheila, now Ray’s carer because he has dementia, is pleading with Hillingdon Council: “Please don’t take away my husband’s lifeline.”
Since theater operators Trafalgar Entertainment first announced they were at risk of closure, negotiations have fallen apart several times, with both them and the council blaming each other for the threat of closure. Time continues to run out as we approach January 2025, and with no operator in sight, Sheila and Ray are on edge.
The threat to Beck
In September, Hillingdon Council said it was “seeking new arrangements” so it no longer subsidizes a “privately owned commercial entity” – The Beck Theatre. But despite the theater operators offering to pay rent, talks broke down on a number of occasions between Trafalgar and Hillingdon Council.
Behind closed doors there appeared to be hope that a deal was close after the two sides secretly resumed talks, but the public spat culminated in a shock statement on Friday 11 October from the local authority accusing Trafalgar Entertainment of changing its demands at the last minute the minute and leaves.
The theater operators immediately hit back, accusing the council of handling the situation in an “unprofessional” and “appalling” way. Sheila believes the council is to blame for the ongoing threat and dispute.
She claimed: “They haven’t handled it well. I mean they haven’t responded to any of the emails. Why? Because they’re hiding something… they’re not being honest.”
Beck’s best customers
“We like them all, especially the ones with music, and even the ones that aren’t in English. You get to see so much… we love to see the younger ones too. Sometimes we get asked, ‘Are your grandkids up there?’ and we laugh and say “No”, we just love to watch!”
The married couple are such regulars at The Beck that if they didn’t attend for a few days in a row, the staff would start to worry. They even have their own reserved seats B15 and B16.
Sheila said: “Ray will meet anyone when it comes to making new friends. And when we’re here he chats with everyone.”
When Covid hit, businesses across the country were affected. Unfortunately for Sheila and Ray, The Beck was one of the first to close and the last to open. Sheila described the lockdown as a “real struggle.”
The pair usually Book dozens of shows in advance when planning their upcoming months, and 2020/2021 was no different. However, due to the number of cancellations caused by the Covid closure, the couple actually got hundreds of pounds back from the theater in refunds.
Sheila told LDRS that the pandemic was when her husband’s health began to decline.
“The theater is my husband’s lifeline”
Ray has been going to the theater with his wife since the 90s. Unfortunately, Ray now suffers from dementia, and Sheila fears the effect the closure of the theater would have on Ray’s health.
She said, “It’s my husband’s lifeline. It’s the reason he wakes up in the morning. Recently… if he’s not here, he’s sleeping. It’s that simple.
“He eats his breakfast, then he lies back on the sofa and sleeps until dinner. He has no interest whatsoever in what’s on the telly. He’s not a sporty man – so that’s out of the question. This is what he looks forward to . It’s a lifeline for him.”
Ray told LDRS: “It’s homey (The Beck). It’s like home. You know, I like the music.”
Sheila added: “He might have his eyes closed, but he knows all the music and he taps his hands perfectly.”
With the theater looking more likely to close in January unless a last-minute deal can be struck to keep the Beck’s doors open, the pair say there will be “nothing else to look forward to”.
Sheila said, “You know, that’s all Ray looks forward to, The Beck Theatre, and myself sometimes, it can be an escape for me too.”
Sheila is not only Ray’s wife, but also his carer. Having The Beck Theater so close has allowed her and Ray to maintain many social relationships, and allows a moment away from the stresses of life. Ray added: “It will be a shame if it closes. A real shame.”
“No plans to close the theater”
Throughout the process, Hillingdon Council have maintained they have no plans to close the Beck Theater and claim they are doing everything they can to keep it open. On Friday, October 11, the council said: “(We) will continue to seek an alternative supplier to operate the council-owned facility to secure its future and the continued enrichment of our community.”
But with shows scheduled for the New Year beginning to be cancelled, and no new operator or plan for the venue once Trafalgar has ended, many questions remain unanswered, not only for Sheila and Ray, but for the entire Beck Theater community, the regulars, the youth groups, the employees. With the future of theater hanging in the balance, they look ahead to 2025 with a sense of trepidation.
Do you have a story you want to share? E-mail philip.lynch@reachplc.com
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