The Globe Theatre's application for a grant of £10.4m to create exhibition and education centres has, as was expected, been rejected. CEO Michael Holden said that ACE's reasons for rejection were "fairly extensive" but he declined to go into any detail. However, as we reported previously, he has said in the past that he had been told that the apllication was not "thick enough".
IN his Annual Report on the work of the South Bank Centre, chairman Sir Brian Corby has revealed that total grant aid has fallen by £17m since 1997. Income from sponsorship and donations has also dropped by almost £300,000 in the last year. In spite of this, the Centre has managed to end the year with a surplus of £137,000.
The New Opportunities Fund, the sixth Lottery "Good Cause", devoted to Health and Education, should be up and running in Spring 1998, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Chris Smith has to The Stage
It is expected that the new fund will adversely affect the other, more established five "good causes", although the government has said that, because of the Lottery's success, more money is available and so the five should not receive less than it was planned they should on projected figures. The Lottery White Paper promised that the £1b to be provided by the new Fund would not undermine the commitments the distributors have already made.
Scottish Ballet: the Continuing Story
Three permanent and two temporary directors have been appointed to the Board of the troubled Scottish Ballet. The new chairman will be John Moreland, chairman of the Glasgow Centre of Contemporary Arts. The two temporary directors, appointed so that the company can operate legally, are company solicitors. They will be replaced as soon as suitable condidates have been found.
Scarborough's Futurist Theatre looks likely to close in November. Apollo Leisure has managed the venue for Scarborough Council since 1985, rent-free since 1995. That rent-free agreement has now run out and Apollo has given the council until the end of November to come up with a new deal, but the council has already decided that the borough has too many theatre seats and is looking to sell off the theatre.
Dudley Moore Quits Southampton Panto
Dudley Moore has had to pull out of his first ever pantomine at Southampton's Mayflower this Chritsmas as he will be recovering from heart surgery. Moore,who was to have played Buttons in Cinderella had surgery for a previously unsuspected heart condition early last week.
Broadway is buzzing with runours of a multi-million dollar musical about Diana, Princess of Wales. Insiders believe that it is inevitable that such a show will arrive sooner rather than later, as Di-mania continues to sweep the world.
Opening Soon
The Broadway production of Chicago, with Ruthie Henshall and Ute Lemper, is to open at the Adelphi on 18th November, whilst Snoo Wilsons HRH, about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, opens at the Playhouse on 9th October with Amanda Donohoe and Corin Redgrave. Simon Callow directs.