Shepton Mallet's Amulet Theatre has once again been placed on the national Theatres at Risk Register. The Market Place venue is one of 39 theatres included on the 2026 list published by the Theatres Trust.

The annual register highlights buildings considered to have important architectural, cultural or community value but whose future as theatres remains uncertain. Campaigners said the Amulet's continued inclusion would provide valuable support for future funding bids.

The Amulet opened in 1975 under its original name, The Centre. It was given to the town by the Showering family, known locally for Babycham, as part of a major redevelopment of Shepton Mallet.

The building is an unusual example of Brutalist architecture in Somerset. It also contains what is believed to be the UK's last surviving motorised ceiling carrying seats, which can descend to turn the flat auditorium floor into raked seating.

For many years, the Amulet hosted theatre productions, live music and film screenings. The Theatres Trust describes it as an important venue because there is no other theatre in Shepton Mallet and limited provision across the surrounding area.

The theatre has been closed as a performance venue since its former operator, the Bristol Academy of Performing Arts, went into administration in 2011. Its auditorium has since been used as a gym.

Plans were submitted in 2020 and 2021 to convert parts of the building into flats and retail space. Somerset Council refused the residential scheme in August 2025, and a subsequent appeal was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in June 2026.

The Theatres Trust warned that redevelopment could cause the permanent loss of a cultural building originally intended as a gift to the people of Shepton Mallet.

advertisement

However, it said much of the theatre remained intact and could be returned to performance, cinema, arts and community use without extensive alteration. The venue has been given a risk rating of six, including the highest risk-factor score used in the register.

The Let's Buy the Amulet campaign was formed in 2023 to secure the building and restore it as a community-owned venue. Campaigners have held public consultations, developed a business case and staged pop-up events inside the building.

A community share offer reached its minimum fundraising target before closing in October 2025, although further funds are still needed to meet the owner's asking price. Cambridge Arts Theatre has also donated 400 seats, which are being stored for a future reopening.

The campaign's vision is to return live entertainment and cinema to the town while using the Amulet to support the wider regeneration of Shepton Mallet town centre.

More local stories

• Somerset Council placed under Government watch
• Shepton diary brings climate action, dance sessions and a weekend of ribs

Subscribe to the free Shepton Mallet Nub News newsletter Get the biggest Shepton Mallet stories straight to your inbox.