‘It could have been mothballed’

Tragedies are best kept for the drama of the stage but thanks to the unprecedented damage caused by Covid-19, a real one was on the cards for the Marlowe Theatre.

A total of 21 members of staff at the city centre venue have lost their jobs in recent months and its usual £13 million turnover has plummeted off a cliff. The threat of mothballing the site for two years or even permanent closure loomed large.

B ut th e government announced last week that the struggling theatre would be one of eight institutions nationwide to pocket a £3 million Culture Recovery Fund grant. With that money being used on the likes of overheads, staff payroll and Covid precautions, bosses at the playhouse say they can begin focusing on reopening theatre doors as soon as they are permitted.

Chief executive Deborah Shaw says they can now see over the horizon.

“We’ve been very pessimistic as I think everyone has been, but now we can feel positive,” she said.

“These funds really help get us

Marlowe chief executive Deborah Shaw says she is confident the theatre will recover

back on an even keel and plug the gap.

“Our annual turnover is usually £13 million and this year, five months of that has totally gone. We sadly lost a proportion of our staff.

“Closing down or having to mothball for two years would be a tragedy.

“I can’t tell you what would have happened as things have kept changing everyday - there’s been a lot of uncertainty.

“But there’s now much confidence we can bounce back as people are desperate for us to return.

“We think we’ll be really well placed to get through that period as people will want to spend money on what they know and can trust.

“People have watched all there is on Netflix and want some entertainment again. “Furlough was a life-saver for us but we’re now coming back to life as we prepare for reopening with the panto.

“We’re revving and ready to go.

“There can still be problems along the way but we’re in much better shape - we’re very confident it’ll be a V-shaped recovery for us.”

A scaled-down production - Nurse Nellie Saves Panto - is due to run at the theatre from December 11, with 12,000 tickets already being snapped up. Rehearsals are ongoing and day-to-day work at the Marlowe - aside from welcoming the crowd - is back to normal as no one remains on furlough. Earlier this year, the theatre bagged permission for a redesign of the back yard that will offer wider loading areas and ramps to wheel props in and out. The project is hoped to attract some of the biggest shows in the business and offer competition to rival venues in the capital. Construction was stalled due to the pandemic but work is planned to soon get going. “The space will help the bigger shows - like Les Mis which is coming next year,” Ms Shaw said.

“We’re talking to producers all of the time. They obviously want to get on the road when they can but it’s a very complicated situation.

“We can see a way forward with social distancing and have plans in place - hopefully it won’t last too long. If the vaccine works, I could see us being back to normal functioning next spring.

“We have a very big impact on the city economy, whether it be for shops, overnight stays or parking. So this is very welcome news for everyone.”

‘We’ve been very pessimistic, but now we can feel positive. These funds really help get us back on an even keel and plug the gap. There’s now much confidence we can bounce back...’