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Dateline: 7th December, 2007
"Miracle" as Playhouse Reopens Just over a week after it dramatically went dark, Derby Playhouse is opening again. The financially trouble theatre had staged four performances of Treasure Island before the management were told the Playhouse was insolvent and would have to close. The press night went ahead at the last minute after actors and staff were determined to go out with a bang. Since then the theatre has gone from voluntary liquidation into administration and now Treasure Island is expected to be staged until January 26th - when it was originally due to end. The Playhouse's long-term future is still unclear and is dependent on whether a consortium which is trying to save the theatre can raise sufficient cash. Dilip Dattani from the administrators Tenon Recovery said work had gone on behind the scenes over the past week. "We're very open-minded in terms of any propositions that are coming to us. "We had this team led by (former Playhouse chairmen) Jonathan Powers and Michael Hall and (artistic director) Stephen Edwards that were very keen on resurrecting the theatre. They managed to raise some funding that enables us to have some working capital to go forward." Former chief executive Karen Hebden said it was now time for the public to act. "I think we need to look at whether we can take our funders with us, whether the city council will come back on board, whether we can capitalise on the massive improvement now the Westfield (shopping) centre is open. And this gives us a chance to prove that. "We need to look at everything - not just the shows but also what structure we can have going forward in the short and then in the medium term." Treasure Island returns with all the cast who performed in the initial five shows. A Playhouse spokesman said, "They stayed around hoping for the miracle that has happened. "Staff have been in with their marigolds on, cleaning loos, emptying waste and getting ready. It illustrates the loyalty of the staff. "What we need now is a successful show so that we can go forward into the new year and the new season." Steve Orme
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