Under Ground Theatre's Saturday Morning Music at the Bandstand

The band of volunteers, who run the theatre through their charity Eastbourne Arts Centre Charitable Trust, are putting on their free Saturday Morning Music at the Eastbourne Bandstand on Saturday August 11 at 10am.

The event will showcase top local band Stray Dogs and will encourage attendees to support the Under Ground Theatre’s application to renew its lease.

The theatre closed suddenly in June after the landlord, East Sussex County Council, said it would not be renewing the lease and inviting tenders instead.

Stray Dogs, guitar and vocal marvels Alex Grayson and Garry Wonfor will be playing favourite cover versions and their own songs.

The county council, is holding a competitive pitch to find a tenant offering a comprehensive programme of community and cultural events.

The new UGT team says it will offer a broad range of culture and entertainment for all ages, including opportunities for talented and creative musicians.

The charity will ask music-lovers to sign a petition that will be sent to the county council with its application.

Eastbourne and Willingdon MP Stephen Lloyd has also thrown his weight behind the new Under Ground Theatre team and will be on stage at noon.

Mr Lloyd said, “The team of volunteers has given great service to this town for nearly three decades.

“They have a dynamic new management structure in place and should be allowed to continue to work their magic. I will be urging the audience on Saturday to sign the petition and help the charitable trust to get back where it belongs.”

The Under Ground Theatre chair Sue Hutchinson called on fans past and present to join forces and support their application.

She said, “We have a huge amount of experience running great events at The Under Ground Theatre and we would love the chance to keep going for another 29 years.

“Our trustees and committee members are all volunteers, which allows us to keep costs to a minimum, while putting on great shows with broad appeal throughout the community.”

The music starts at 10am and will finish by 12.15pm.

The Bandstand can accommodate around 500 people, so music-lovers are advised to arrive early to get a good seat.