John Gray, of Ivy Lane, Teignmouth, writes:

I was raised in Torquay but have chosen Teignmouth for my retirement – so much nicer these days.

Having spent 55 years in the London theatre, 30 years as senior tutor at Rada, one thing really troubles me: the future of the Carlton Theatre.

The new plans appear to replace the present eyesore with another hardly any better. It professes to be an all-purpose venue and as so often with these multi-purpose places it looks as though it will be suitable for none.

It is replacing something used mainly as a theatre and will no doubt be used as such in the future so why not build an aesthetically pleasing theatre? Good design need be no more expensive than poor design.

From the drawings I've seen it looks bland, unimaginative and impractical. As a theatre it is utilitarian and boring, with theatre space sacrificed to retail and food outlets. The stage and back stage seemed cramped, impeding imaginative productions and with not so much as the ability to 'fly' scenery.

What a wasted opportunity. I suppose it will be down to finance in the end. What has happened to the £10 million I heard was promised from Morrisons?

What a pity the Riviera cannot be used as a theatre. Admittedly a little cramped backstage, it has a jewel-box art deco auditorium, a perfect size and quite adaptable to other purposes than the usual theatre fare.

What a shame the owners and the council cannot get together to finish the almost-completed renovation. It could be an exciting new chapter for the historic building and cost far less than the Carlton scheme.

We could have the most attractive theatre in the area, not some factory-like blot as we've seen in other nearby resorts.

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