Covid closure has hit the venue’s finances - but it will bounce back
CHAIR OF THEATRE CONFIDENT THAT WHEN COVID IS DEFEATED THE VENUE WILL ONCE AGAIN COME INTO ITS OWN
IN common with similar venues across the world, the curtains came down on the Glen Theatre in Banteer just short of twelve months ago when the plague of Covid 19 began to engulf the country.
The popular north Cork venue is widely acclaimed for the quality of its dramatic offerings and the variety of top musical acts that have graced the stage over the past 24-years.
Theatre chairman Rory O’ Driscoll said that in March 2020 when the committee heard that the virus had entered the country, they decided to close ahead of the Government lockdown.
“We felt this was best from a safety point of view, because many of our clientele would be in the older age group and possibly more vulnerable,” he told The Corkman.
“All our plans went by the wayside, Declan Nerney was booked in for March and of course our drama group members were all set to go with their spring play. These were the first casualties of Covid and of course all plans for the rest of 2020 had to be cancelled,” he added.
However, even though the doors remain closed, overheads still have to be paid and Rory is urging the Government to focus on putting some funding in place for small theatres.
“It would be great to get a bit of help because this is not alone an events venue. It’s a vital local hub which is also used for meetings, after funeral get togethers and other community events. These are usually all a source of revenue for us,” he said.
Looking ahead, he is confident that when Covid is conquered, the theatre will once again come into its own.
“I think that once people get vaccinated and see infection numbers coming down, when normality returns, people will be delighted to come back. They are fed up of not being able to go anywhere, the older people are looking forward to going out again when they feel safe,” said Rory.