Falkirk Council: Actor Forbes Masson despairs at demolition of town hall and fears for historic library building

Forbes Masson was back in the area to appear in his one-man show The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at Stirling’s Macrobert Art Centre.

In several posts on X, formerly Twitter, he spoke about the future of the arts in Falkirk following the closure of Falkirk Town Hall.

In 2019 he was one of over 2000 people who signed an online petition demanding Falkirk gets a replacement town hall.

Now he is concerned about the future of the town’s library in Hope Street.

His post said: “After all the furore over the brutal demolition of Falkirk Town Hall without a replacement, I now understand that the beautiful Falkirk Library is under threat. What the actual Falkirk is going on in my hometown. The arts are being obliterated by Falkirk Council.”

He then posted another photograph of the site of the former town hall, stating: “What the Falkirk is going on? This is all that’s left of the theatre I started my career in. The Falkirk Town Hall destroyed. Falkirk Council seem to have a death wish for the arts. Who is holding them to account for these disastrous destructive decisions.”

Forbes, who trained at the then Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, before going on to have a hugely successful stage and TV career, is an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, although to many he will be best known for his comedy partnership with Alan Cumming and their characters Victor and Barry.

While many agreed with his concerns on social media, one local pointed out “Forbes, quite a lot is going on, actually. And would have got on even faster if opposition parties had not stalled progress”.

They then pointed out Falkirk Council’s plans for a new town hall/arts centre on the site of Callendar Square shopping centre.

In response Forbes wrote: “This looks positive, but I read in the proposals about an ‘artistic hub’. This sounds dangerously vague and tokenistic. Falkirk needs a state of the art, fully equipped large capacity venue with a proper fly floor so that productions can play there.”

He added: “If Falkirk Council get this right and create a malleable large space capable of housing local and touring shows, dance, music, exhibitions, conferences alongside a smaller studio space for smaller events they could really put Falkirk on the map culturally.

"I hope that the council really do their research and get advice from professional arts practitioners about how the new space should be designed so it is fit for purpose. It will rejuvenate Falkirk, benefit local businesses and lift the town’s soul.

"It’s easy to blame local tribal politics. There’s a current decimation of the arts across the UK dictated by the actions of the Westminster Government, a long-standing disregard for the value of the arts and the tangible benefits to the economy, health and soul of a nation.”

Responding to his post, fellow artiste, mezzo soprano Cheryl Forbes who grew up in Laurieston, said: “I started my career in Falkirk Town Hall too and when I drive past what remains, my heart aches. We can only hope the arts scene in Falkirk thrives again. At the moment, it’s splintered all over the town.

“Most arts organisations will go under by the time a new venue is built and current generation missing out on the amazing performing opportunities the town hall afforded to us.”

A Falkirk Council spokesperson said: “Libraries play a very important role in supporting local communities. There are no plans to remove library provision in the area and in the case of Falkirk library, the design of the new arts centre will see a new library facility incorporated there.”

However, they did not respond what would happen to the Hope Street building, built with funds from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and opened to the public in 1904, when the new arts centre opens.

The original part of the building is B Listed and any future development, alteration or demolition proposal would require consent.