Job cut closures affect theatres as crisis deepens
Theatres across the country have been announcing closures and job losses in recent weeks. Nuffield Southampton Theatres went into administration in May and announced earlier this month that it was to close permanently after no suitable buyer was found. Some 86 staff are being made redundant.
Greg Palfrey from administrators Smith & Williamson said: “This is a sad day for the theatre industry in the UK, bringing the final curtain down on nearly 60 years of history.”
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is considering making 40 per cent of roles redundant - working out at 47 people.
A spokesperson said: “Since 16 March 2020, The REP has effectively been unable to trade. As the theatre generates 80 per cent of its income from selling tickets and associated revenue streams, the ongoing loss of earned income is unsustainable.
“Despite the very welcome news of the government’s support package for the cultural sector, and Arts Council England’s emergency funds that partially mitigate our current losses, the reality for The Reo is that we simply do not know when we will be able to re-open our doors and welcome audiences back into our building to enjoy live theatre again in a way that is safe for the public and financially viable for the theatre.”
Managers at Theatre Royal Plymouth have warned that 100 jobs are at risk. They have launched an emergency appeal as they fight for the venue’s future.
The Key Theatre in Peterborough is currently vacant and without an operator after the charity that ran it, Vivacity, pulled out in June.
In Leicester, the Haymarket Consortium, which reopened the Haymarket Theatre in 2018, went into administration in late May and the lease has been handed back to Leicester
City Council, which owns the building. Having only been operating for a short time meant the organisation had not built up enough reserves to weather the coronavirus crisis.
Southport Theatre and Convention Centre has also been badly hit. Bliss Space (Southport) Ltd, who had been running the venue on a three-year caretaker basis, went into administration in mid-May.
Norwich Theatre meanwhile has warned that more than three-quarters of its workforce may lose their jobs. The group runs Norwich Theatre Royal, The Playhouse and Stage Two in the city.
The Artrix arts centre in Bromsgrove was the first theatre to go into administration, ceasing trading in early April.
Having been funded by the local authority for its first ten years, its grant funding was cut in 2018, leaving the venue in a fragile financial situation that meant it was unable to survive when theatres closed in March.
The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry has announced that 21 roles are at risk of redundancy.
A statement on the theatre’s website reads: “Our continued inability to host shows means that the Belgrade has been forced to make some incredibly difficult decisions in order to ensure that the theatre is still here for 2021 and beyond.
“It is with great sadness we are now facing the fact that some of our staff are at risk of redundancy.
“We closed our doors to the public in March and as a result instantly lost 71 per ent of our income.
“While we welcome the announcement of the government’s support package for the arts, sadly the timing and process make it unlikely that this will have an immediate impact on our consultations.”