Reconnect Theatres: heritage, art & reconnection

Operating two landmark West Lothian venues, a busy programme of performing arts events, and an ecosystem of local cultural life – Reconnect Theatres is keeping the magic of theatre alive in West Lothian. I went behind the scenes to find out how they do it, and what we as the local community can do to support them.

“The vision has always been about promoting access to our cultural assets and historic landmarks in a living, vibrant way,” says Pete Sneddon, Founder and Artistic Director of Reconnect Theatres. The organisation operates both the listed art deco Regal Theatre in Bathgate and Howden Park in Livingston.

Sitting on the colourful sofas in the atrium at the Howden (“The first thing I did was bring in the colourful furniture in the Howden, because I wanted the place to feel fun and exciting to be in”) Pete explains how the two iconic venues have come together.

Atrium and bar area at Reconnect Howden Park, Livingston

The journey started at the Regal in 2017. Bathgate-resident Pete has always worked in performing arts as a technician doing lighting, sound, special effects (plus a stint with a death metal band). With his creative priorities diverging from those of the theatre trust he was working with in Glasgow at the time, he was looking to create something locally that matched his vision. Somewhere, he says, where local arts groups could have a permanent home, and where the local community could come together to experience the joy of performing arts, where the human aspect of theatre could be nurtured.

When the company which had been operating the Regal went into liquidation in 2017, West Lothian Council invited bids from organisations to take over the operation of the building. This was Pete’s opportunity; he set up Reconnect SCIO, and that year they put on a panto as a proof of concept.

Bar area at Reconnect Regal

“We had to overcome the fact that the theatre’s reputation had suffered some damage previously,” he says, “and it was a bit of a long road to bring it back.” The dedicated team included Pete’s brother Robert Sneddon, friend Lorna McCormack and Craig Forest, who had been a volunteer at the Regal up until it closed. They pushed along for two years; then Covid hit.

“Covid was an opportunity for us to pause and look at the long term strategy. That’s when we concluded we needed another venue so that we could get economies of scale to achieve our vision.”

The much-loved Howden Park in Livingston came under threat of closure in 2023, so Reconnect put in a bid to take on this vital local arts venue. “Crucially, we wanted to ensure that these two local theatres would not end up in competition with each other, which is what had been happening,” said Pete. And so, since 2023, Reconnect have run the two theatres, benefitting from the synergies of having both venues.

There are several priorities. Firstly, to bring people into these special and iconic local buildings, breathing life into them and preserving them whilst providing a nice place for the local community to have positive, fun experiences. Secondly, to provide a stable home for local arts groups. Thirdly, to run a production company where local talent has an outlet, creating new material as well as bringing a fresh perspective to established theatre repertoire. Reconnect’s in-house theatre company currently consists of a creative team of four, with three young writers producing original plays.

If you had told a teenaged Pete that he would be creating “art”, he would not have believed you for a minute. “But,” he explains, “I remember a trip to an exhibition, which included a sculpture involving melting ice. That piece had a profound effect on me and has endured in my memory, but I hadn't classed it as art at the time.”

This experience is something he has drawn on to steer the direction of Reconnect Theatres. “I want to create places where you come for entertainment and have a good experience. It needs to be accessible to everyone - theatre that doesn’t speak down to you, or make you feel stupid, but instead shows you your life in a way that changes your perspective of it.”

With the two venues making a natural and logical operational pairing buzzing with activity, Pete makes it look easy. But it hasn’t been an easy journey. He had to bid against stiff competition for each venue, and in fact didn’t even win the bid for the Regal to start with. It’s an extraordinary combination of management skills, vision and determination required to bring each venue back from the brink and to make them fly. “It needed to be done, so I did it,” Pete says simply.

A core team of staff is supported by freelancers as well as volunteers for front of house and other vital roles. Reconnect Theatres doesn’t receive any regular public funding. They apply for ad hoc grants for various projects such as their youth theatre initiatives, but all other costs have to be covered by trading activities. A proportion comes from venue hire by other theatre companies who bring a huge range of entertainment; from the bar and restaurant; and from ticket sales for their own productions.

There is a varied programme of events at each theatre, with something for everyone.

Visit www.reconnecttheatres.com, browse the What’s On and book yourself in for a little magic this month.

There is a bar at both venues, and a restaurant at Howden Park for pre-show meals.

The cafe at Howden Park is open Mon to Sat 10am – 4pm and for Sunday roast lunches. Pop in for tea/coffee/cakes or lunch and light bites and get delicious food which helps support Reconnect and their vision to keep these fun places alive for us all.

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Published in Konect May 2026

Author: Helen-Jane Gisbourne