'Heartbreaking' images show Oldham Coliseum being packed up for good

It was a moment they hoped would never happen, but on Friday evening the curtains at Oldham Coliseum fell for a final time.

Going out on "it's on terms" following the loss of its subsidy from Arts Council England (ACE) back in November, the Fairbottom Street closed its doors for good following one final celebratory show. Encore featured performances from the likes of Christopher Eccleston and Maxine Peake, and many other famous faces who had trod the boards of the much-loved venue.

Now, following its final curtain call, staff at the 138-year-old venue have begun to difficult task of winding down the operation. This afternoon, images of the theatre being packed up were shared on Facebook with followers branding them 'heartbreaking'.

Read more: "We will be reunited": A triumphant last hurrah as town bids emotional farewell to Oldham Coliseum

"It’s odd around here but there are a lot of chocolates in the green room to keep us going," says Shelly Ramsdale, Oldham Coliseum’s Head of Marketing. "We had everyone backstage sign the wall on Friday evening and I think we’ve all spent a good half an hour looking at it."

Just a few weeks earlier, Shelly said people had been calling up and coming by the theatre asking to purchase pictures on the walls of famous stars who have performed at the theatre. Today, she is undertaking the task of unpublishing the theatre's website, while box office staff are returning credit on the systems.

This week already, seat plaques have been removed ready to return to their owners, lights have come down for the final time, and props and furniture have been donated to other theatres.

In a post on its Facebook page, the Coliseum shared: "It's a strange week at the Coliseum now that we're literally