If you give me 1.5 million, I really will stop moaning.

I have a long list on why I should win the lottery and what I would spend my savings on. However, the Chanel clothing and London penthouse apartments have been moved a few places down the never-ending scribbles after finding a new expense.

It seems queer to take notice of a 'For Sale' sign on a building in these times. A less than affluent town like Southend is full of them; flats, shops, the concrete slabs of a 1960s office block. But I couldn't help but take heed of the large sign on Southend's New Empire Theatre (a less than attractive brick box placed conveniently just off the high street).

I've performed there in the past; I have fond memories of blaring out Potipher in a production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat in the middle of my GCSEs. But too with the ignorant singing comes memories of a crumbling building; paint peeling from the walls and that distinct smell of damp in the dressing room. Unsurprising seeing as it's empty for the majority of the year.

It's a shame. I'm not really the biggest fan of theatre in Southend (I'll probably get shot for saying that). There's no independent professional productions - we have a huge array of talent in the semi-professional units like Southend Shakespeare Company and Leigh Operatic and Dramatic Society. However, the 'best' professional productions we get at the Cliffs Pavilion or Palace Theatre are touring ghost productions of a few West End hits (namely The Woman in Black or Dreamboats and Petticoats). There's nothing that makes Southend renowned for its theatre despite a huge pool of talent coming from this area. I'd much rather pay an extra £11.90 (Lord bless student discounts) and go to the West End for some atmosphere than sit amongst the lifeless souls in a depressing town that's dangerous after 9pm.

So, the point of this rant? There's a potentially good venue sitting empty, up for a price of £1.5 million (a figure which surprised me seeing as it's in such a dire state and been without permanent residents for so long). There's mentions of cinema and gym companies being interested in the building (http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/8236391.Southend_s_Empire_to_become_a_cinema_again_/) but we've got a ruddy Odeon megaplex that fills about two seats for every showing and more gyms than you can throw a running machine at (how else does a bright orange, bleached blonde Chardonay keep her boobjob looking so good). It saddens me that a town supposedly full of 'creative' people seems unwilling to support a creative venue.

I'm crossing my fingers to win the lottery even more than usual now (despite the fact I never do and still haven't for this week bought a ticket). It'd be absolutely fantastic to get the venue working as a proper theatre - have a major overhaul and put on some worthwhile productions. I'd love to buy it, become artistic director and finally give this town and its folk a proper theatre, rather than another lifeless hall whose highlight is the yearly feature of the Chuckle Brothers in the Christmas pantomime.