Almost half of London’s small theatres feel ‘insecure’ about their financial future and a third fear their venues could be sold,
a study has found, reports BBC online.
The London Assembly study spoke to 55 theatres with a capacity no greater than 300 seats. More than 85% of them said they lacked rehearsal space and 34% feared the venue would be sold or converted.The report urged the mayor to offer City Hall as a venue for rehearsals and called for a fund to be set up. The six-month study, Centre Stage, said many of London’s 105 smaller capacity theatres ‘face serious potential threats to their existence and may be at risk of closing’.
It called on London Mayor Boris Johnson to appoint a new ambassador for small theatres.
The report also urged Transport for London to make it easy for small venues to advertise on Tube, rail and tram stations. Many theatres said they failed to attract audiences because they relied on mailing lists and social media to market shows.
However, the majority of respondents said their ticket sales had increased over the past year, with only 20% noting a decrease.
Also three-quarters of the 55 venues surveyed said they need to significantly upgrade or repair their buildings but 93% of them do not have the required funds.
-With New Age input
