YORK'S Theatre Royal could be put up for sale by city council chiefs, the Evening Press can reveal today.

City of York Council is considering disposing of the "freehold interest" it holds in the historic property, to help secure the "long-term future of the theatre" at its St Leonard's Place home.

While the Theatre Royal building is one of the most important in the city, there is a backlog of repairs at the venue, which means it is unlikely to raise much more than a nominal value if sold.

The Evening Press understands that, rather than footing the bill for those repairs, estimated at £500,000, the council could find new owners - as has already happened with the nearby De Grey Rooms, taken on by York Conservation Trust.

The Theatre Royal was built in the early 1740s and is mostly constructed of stone, but the modern glass extension seen by theatregoers at St Leonard's Place was built in 1967.

It is a listed building, which is currently leased to the Citizens Theatre Trust for a yearly rent. But that has not stopped council officers investigating whether it could be sold, as the authority looks at its assets in the face of considerable budget pressures.

The theatre consistently plays host to some of entertainment's biggest names. Hollywood stars such as Charlton Heston and Pierce Brosnan, York's own Dame Judi Dench, and theatrical giant Sir John Gielgud have all taken to its stage. TV favourite Robson Green, former Avenger and Bond girl Honor Blackman and ballet legend Dame Margot Fonteyn have appeared in front of York audiences.

The city also plays host to one of the UK's biggest

pantomimes, hosted by stage favourite Berwick Kaler.

Jean Alexander, Hilda Ogden of Coronation Street fame, spent several years as a young actress at York Theatre Royal, and has fond memories of the place.

She said: "If the Theatre Royal is going to be sold off, its future as a theatre must be safeguarded.

"York needs a theatre like this and it must be protected. If a private company can attract more investment and guarantee a bright future, so much the better. But it must be handled carefully.

"The Theatre Royal is still a place where young actors can learn their trade properly. They can get a good

grounding in real plays, and the theatre can still stage productions relatively

inexpensively without all the modern technical gimmickry.

"York Theatre Royal was so important to my early career - so its future is equally important to me."

Jean left York to find fame and fortune on stage in London, but soon afterwards landed her role as Hilda in Coronation Street, which made her a household name.

Mr Kaler, who has performed his hugely successful pantomime at the venue for nearly 30 years, said: "Obviously the theatre has got to have a future.

It has also got to have the best funding." He added that the arts were still of paramount importance.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said a sale is not likely to be progressed in the "very near future", but the Evening Press understands it may happen by 2008/2009.

"Consideration has been given to the potential disposal of the freehold interest that the council holds in the theatre," the spokeswoman said. "A freehold sale is not likely to be progressed in the very near future, although it is being kept under review.

"A sale would make it possible for external funding opportunities, that are not available to the council, to be accessed, enabling much-needed improvements and repairs to the property to be carried out. The intention is to secure the long-term future of the theatre at this location."

Daniel Bates, York Theatre Royal chief executive, said: "We are working very closely with the city council as our current landlord, and have a long list of repairs and renewals that are needed, especially externally to the building.

"A new owner could make these improvements, thus securing the organisation's future. The theatre has a very long history of producing the finest in regional theatre."

Coun Dave Merrett, leader of the opposition Labour group on the city council, said: "The key issues are whether a sale would be okay in terms of the Theatre Royal, and is this going to mean they end up shouldering the costs of the repairs?

"We clearly need to ensure that they are properly protected and have some say over the property."

Last year, the Evening Press reported how budget pressures were prompting questions over York Theatre Royal's funding.

City council chiefs then were looking to save £20,000 from the £360,000 currently given in financial support to external arts organisations.

Launchpad for careers of the stars

IT has launched the careers of many an aspiring actor.

Some of the world's biggest names have graced its stage at one time or another.

In recent decades, the York Theatre Royal has seen the cream of Hollywood cinema tread its boards.

Charlton Heston, Pierce Brosnan, Gary Oldman and Sir John Gielgud are among the iconic actors to step on stage.

Dame Judi Dench, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Sheila Hancock have also helped foster the city's theatrical tradition.

It's a process which has been going on for hundreds of years, and York theatre-goers have shown appreciation for authors as well as actors in the past.

In 1892, playwright Oscar Wilde was in the audience for a performance of his work Lady Windermere's Fan. He was called to the stage and given a standing ovation.

Opportunity knocks for the arts - by Charles Hutchinson

CITY of York Council grew weary of supporting York Arts Centre, Impressions Gallery and the Barbican Centre - the first two now gone from the York's cultural map, the third in stasis pending privatisation.

Should there be concern for the future of York Theatre Royal, now that the council faces the headache of a £500,000 repair bill as landlords of the 18th century building?

The answer is no, if the nearby De Grey Rooms and the city's museums are taken as the models for the way forward. The De Grey Rooms were taken on last year by the York Conservation Trust, and will be revitalised when the Theatre Royal and York Museums Trust's joint project bears fruition.

Having taken over control from the city council, the Museums Trust already has had a galvanising influence on the Yorkshire Museum, York Castle Museum and, in particular, York Art Gallery, where the refurbishment last year is testament to the trust's beneficial impact.

It must be hoped that either York Civic Trust or York Conservation Trust, both bodies with the cultural and social interests of York at heart, acquire the freehold for a nominal price, and carry out the requisite repairs. This way the future of the theatre can be protected and, in a city that has lost its arts centre, its internationally-known photographic gallery and, temporarily at least, its principal concert hall, this is vital.

In seeking to relieve itself of the burden of repairs, the city council should not, however, relinquish its responsibility to helping to fund the Theatre Royal's artistic and educational work. This moral duty goes beyond bricks and mortar.

Updated: 11:13 Friday, February 17, 2006