Campaigners for the survival of the under-threat theatre believe they have found compelling evidence why it should become a protected building.

They hope to submit an application for listed status to English Heritage within the next few days. The application is the work of volunteers the Alternative Task Group which was set up in opposition to the officially sanctioned Task Group formed by Scarborough Council to discuss the theatre's future.

The group says that, because the Futurist is one of the UK's few surviving 1920s Supercinemas and was designed by celebrated theatrical architect Frank Tugwell, it has a good chance of becoming a listed building.

Patricia David, the group's research co-ordinator, said: "The Futurist is of such architectural importance to the whole of theatre and cinema history in the UK that it deserves to be preserved.

"It's one of very few Supercinemas that survive – one we're sure of is the Stockport Plaza, which does have listed status and has how been refurbished.

"We've looked deeply into the building's architectural and theatrical
history since the construction started in 1920 and found some amazing stuff."

Supercinemas, which were based on American picture houses, were a trend
in the 1920s, capable of containing huge audiences they typically also included a stage as well as a big screen.

Frank Tugwell, the Futurist's architect, also designed the Savoy Theatre in London, York's Theatre Royal and Scarborough's Opera House, the site of which is now occupied by a casino.

For more on this story read Monday's scarborough Evening News