|
|
||
|
News
|
||
|
News |
Dateline: 29th May, 2005
Arts May Close - or Be Demolished London's Arts Theatre in Great Newport Street (between Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Lane) may close by late summer this year because of a dispute between the landlords, the India-based Gamma Investments and the theatre management. The landlords want to demolish the theatre and redevelop the site with a hotel and office block, whereas Edward Snape, the theatre's director, wants them to refurbish the theatre and allow the development of the upper floors as a restaurant, bar and club area. Lack of investment in the theatre, he said, and increasing competition from nearby venues, is making running the house unprofitable. He claims that Gamma has deliberately allowed the upper floors to remain empty to force the closure. Under City of Westminster regulations, if Gamma were to redevelop the site, the company would have to incorporate a theatre into the new build or pay a substantial sum to enable a new one to be built nearby. Snape has revealed the situation because "it’s time (people) knew what’s going on." The Arts was built in 1927 as a private theatre club. It was the first home in London of the RSC and was the venue for the first production of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane in the sixties. Recently it housed the RSC's Tynan with Corin Redgrave, Peter Halls production of Beckett's Happy Days and Richard Dormer's Hurricane. Currently there is Immodesty Blazie and Walter’s Burlesque! Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
|
|
|
|
