No Kenwright shows expected at Broadway

Peter Dawe and Mark Ringer outside the Broadway Theatre Major shows from theatre impresario Bill Kenwright are unlikely to return to Peterborough’s Broadway Theatre after difficult negotiations between the two parties. Steve Potts, executive director of Bill Kenwright Limited (BKL), has criticised Mark Ringer who is set to become the theatre’s new operations manager after fronting a takeover for the iconic venue with entrepreneur Peter Dawe.

Mr Potts told the Peterborough Telegraph: “I attempted to enter into meaningful dia- logue with Mark Ringer about his and Peter Dawe’s plans for the Broadway, intending to help them reach a point where BKL and other producers’ major shows could potentially come to Peterborough year round.

“Thus far Mark has not demonstrated he can satisfy our criteria and I am not aware he has the intention or the resources to put in the infrastructure and expertise required to present theatre productions of scale.

“It seems more likely they will be limiting the Broadway to concerts and the like, which would be a shame in my opinion.”

BKL has run two series of West End shows at the theatre, the latest being in 2015.

Mr Ringer and Mr Dawe, who are still finalising the deal to lease the theatre, said negotiations are ongoing with BKL .

They also disputed that they will only be bringing concerts to the theatre.

They added: “We will be delivering a wide range of quality productions and working with many companies from our opening night in September onwards, including West End style musicals and theatre.

“We had hoped that BKL’s experienced hands would be generous, but BKL are just one of a number of quality theatre production companies who we are in negotiations with, and more are yet to be approached.”