DERBY PLAYHOUSE

Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
 

Board members at Derby Playhouse hope the theatre could be out of administration by the summer after the Arts Council suspended a demand for £1m of funding to be returned. The Playhouse went into administration before Christmas and a battle to save it was launched by a consortium led by board chairman Jonathan Powers. Their proposed rescue package was sunk by a double blow from the Arts Council, which first decided to not renew the theatre's annual grant and then slapped in a creditors' claim for £1m. The Playhouse's artistic director, Stephen Edwards, launched a High Court battle to test the legality of the Arts Council's claim. He has spent £25,000 of his own money on the case and has now received the news that the Arts Council has decided to back down from a court showdown.

He said, "That could give us the opportunity to rescue the company in whatever shape or form that is and secure all its assets." The original rescue plan would have seen Brian Clough show The Devil's League and Shakespeare's Hamlet staged by now, but without any grant aid from the city. The plan would have been accepted at a creditors' meeting in February if it had not been for the Arts Council's intervention. The removal of the Arts Council's power to force liquidation of the company will enable a revised version of that plan to be presented to all creditors. The theatre could borrow against the value of its lease to kick-start its funding and it would then hope that Mr Powers can persuade investors to stump up cash once the company is out of administration.

The Arts Council said it had suspended its claim against the Playhouse but reserved the right to resurrect it if the theatre's plan for its revival fails. The Arts Council has also issued a statement. It reads: "We remain unconvinced that the rescue plan for the theatre is viable but we have concluded that allowing the board to present its case to the administrators and creditors is a less costly route for public funds than pursuing a court case at this time. We hope to reach agreement with Mr Edwards outside of a costly court process but we are not setting aside our claim. In the event of the company going into receivership or liquidation we will pursue it. Our priority, as always, is to ensure that the Derby Playhouse site remains available for live produced theatre."

Playhouse chief executive Karen Hebden said that a settlement with the Arts Council would be "highly desirable" but added that negotiations were at "a delicate stage". Ms Hebden is hopeful that a settlement will soon be concluded and then aims to work on a business plan that she hopes will get the Playhouse out of administration by the summer. She said, "If we can reach a deal with the Arts Council we will have two months to put a plan to administrators who are continuing to pay the rent and look after the building. If they are willing to back that plan, they will call a second creditors' meeting and recommend it to the creditors. Then we hope the creditors will back the plan and we can move forward and open the building."

The Playhouse could be reopened in time for its diamond jubilee in November, after the theatre's chances of coming out of administration were boosted by the Arts Council's decision to suspend its claim for a return of £1m in funding. The theatre had launched a high court action against the Arts Council's claim but is now close to agreeing a settlement. That means that the theatre's board have a chance to refloat the company and hope to submit a plan to administrators that will be accepted by the rest of the creditors. If all goes well the theatre could be reopened by the summer.

The theatre's chief executive, Karen Hebden, said, "It would be great to be staging shows again by the autumn in time for the jubilee. If all goes well we will be hoping to plan two or three shows - including a Christmas show - but we will be looking for help, support and interest from other people." Karen would now like to hear from any amateur group that would like to stage a production in either the main auditorium or the theatre's studio, or anybody else who might like to make use of the theatre. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Apr/08)

Derby Playhouse is planning to stage Peter Pan this Christmas. Peter Pan will not be a pantomime, but an adaptation of the original theatrical version of the story. It will, however, contain songs and music and will feature flying.It will be the highlight of a four-show, six-month season that will start in September if the theatre comes out of administration, as hoped, in the next few weeks. Creditors are expected to back the plan to refloat the Playhouse, as only the Arts Council opposed this option at the first meeting earlier this year.

Playhouse chief executive Karen Hebden said, "The creditors' meeting will be in late June or early July. We are in the process of putting together a business plan, which Tenon don't have to approve. It will be creditors who decide whether to accept the cash we can offer them. The business plan is really for the people who are going to back the business. Part of that plan will be a season of produced work." The Playhouse will have to survive without subsidy but believes that it can thrive on a combination of sponsorship, tickets sales, co-productions and fund-raising.

Playhouse artistic director Stephen Edwards said, "Christmas is the most important time commercially and we have got to do better than we usually do. Considering we already attract more than 100,000 people a year and we are just a medium regional rep and the Birmingham Royal Ballet only attracts 150,000 with all its subsidy, just shows the size of the task. We will not be a commercial company but a not-for-profit company with no subsidy. Any profit will be recycled into the business." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, May/08)

Derby amateur drama groups are being asked to book now if they want slots on the Derby Playhouse stage next year. If a business plan bring the Playhouse out of administration all goes well, the theatre will reopen in September. After a six-month, four-show season, that will include Peter Pan at Christmas, the theatre will be on offer for co-productions, touring companies and amateur groups on a first-come first-served basis. Chief executive Karen Hebden wants to give Derby's amateur groups first call on the main stage and Studio but says that time is running out.

She said, "We are offering Derby amateur drama groups first call from March to September. That will probably change for the following year as we are getting in late this time. The year after it will probably be from the end of January to the end of August. We hope that gives amateur groups plenty of advance warning because we know they plan their shows well ahead but for next year they must act quickly as we have weeks to put this plan together so we need to know now. Our chairman Jonathan Powers has written to Derby groups but if they don't respond now they are in danger of missing the boat."

She added, "Even if they only pencil things in we need to know. We are giving them first call but if they can't tell us we will have to make other plans. We can't afford to do things like Hamlet without subsidy and there's no time for enormous amounts of fundraising. The idea is to do a smaller season then take six months to fund raise to be able to do a big show the following season."

The main stage will be available for hire from March 1 to September 12. The Studio will be available from December 8 to August 16. As well as hiring out the theatre, Karen and artistic director Stephen Edwards will be staging four professional shows in a new season that, if all goes to plan, will start in September. Three shows in the season are yet to be decided but will not include the Brian Clough comedy The Devil's League which was written for Derby but was lost when the theatre went into administration. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, May/08)