The Intimate Theatre: Venue where Richard Attenborough made stage debut placed on 'at risk' list

The theatre where Richard Attenborough made his professional debut has been added to a register of “at risk” venues.

The Intimate Theatre in Palmers Green is one of two London establishments, along with the Tottenham Palace, added to the list this year by the Theatres Trust.

Attenborough, who went on to Oscar-winning fame as a director of Gandhi, was still a student at Rada when he appeared there. Other famous names to tread its boards include Roger Moore and David Bowie.

Researchers for the trust said the building, which was home to a full-time theatre from 1935 to 1969 and still hosts amateur dramatics, is owned by a local church which wants to demolish it.

The Grade II listed Tottenham Palace was built in 1908 as a variety theatre and has since been used as a cinema and bingo hall and was converted into a church in 1997.

The two buildings join the Streatham Hill Theatre and Walthamstow Granada which were already on the list last year.

A total of 175 theatres have featured on the list in the 12 years it has been running, with almost half now operating as live performance venues. Notable successes include Wilton’s Music Hall in east London.

Andy Rudge, head of theatre at insurance brokers Integro, which sponsored the launch of the register, said: “It is vital this work continues to help maintain the cultural landscape of the UK.”

A spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster said the Intimate Theatre had “always been owned by St Monica’s Church and has always been used primarily as a function space for parish events”. She added that the building needed to be demolished to make way for a new parish hall.

Walthamstow Granada is being bought by Waltham Forest council which plans to work with Soho Theatre to reopen it as a 1,000-seat venue.

Lambeth council listed Streatham Hill Theatre as an asset of community value last year.