Worcester's Swan Theatre has been saved from probable closure by a three-year grant from West Midlands Arts. WMA has awarded the venue £165,000 a year for the next three years, and this, coupled with a grant of £137,000 a year for three years from the city council has assured the theatre's medium-term future. According to the WMA, there are still some problem areas which need to be addressed and they will be working with the theatre to set targets and help it to achieve them.
Director Declan Donnellan, formerly of Cheek by Jowl theatre company, has been awarded a Golden Mask, the Russian equivalent of an Olivier, for his direction of the St Petersburg Maly Theatre's production of A Winter's Tale. The award was presented at the Bolshoi Theatre on 5th April. The play won three awards: Best Director, Best Production and Best Male Lead for Pyotr Semak as Leontes.
The production (which is in Russian) will begin touring in the UK on 29th April at Warwick Arts Centre, before going on to the Brighton Theatre Royal, the Plymouth Theatre Royal, Sheffield's Crucible, the Lyric, Hammersmith, and Newcastle Playhouse.