A former Victorian theatre and opera house in Merthyr will come up at auction next month with a reserve price of £0.
The grade II Theatre Royal and Opera House building, which dates back to the 1890s, has been empty since the 2000s. It was last used as a bingo hall.
The reserve price on the fading but once grandiose building, at Park Place, Penydarren Road, reflects the level of investment required to bring it back into use. There has already been interest from potential investors looking to turn it back into a theatre and opera house.
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The building, along with 70 other properties, will be offered for sale online by Paul Fosh Auctions with bidding from the 8th to the 10th of March.
The highest bid, no matter how low or even it is the sole bid, will secure the property.
At its height the theatre had a stage 22 feet deep and 28 feet wide served and could seat 1,500 people.
Designed by Merthyr architect TC Wakeling in a neoclassical style, when it opened it was one of the premier theatres in Wales. It began operating as a cinema as well as a live theatre in the 1920s before being converted to a bingo club in the 1960s. It closed in the mid 2000s.
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Debra Bisley, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “This truly majestic building has a wealth of fascinating history stretching back to 1892 when it opened after costing a princely £8,000 to build.
"In the late 1920s the property was renovated internally in an Art Deco style.
“The property is more than likely to be of interest to local investors although we have had a number of enquiries from London investors hoping to return it beck to a theatre and opera house.
“Unfortunately we don’t have keys and have not been permitted access so what is inside remains as much of a mystery to us as well as any potential buyers.”
The identity of the current owner has not been revealed.