Derby’s Guildhall Theatre will be closed for eight months after a ceiling decoration fell into the auditorium during an inspection.
Essential maintenance had forced the closure of the 242-seat theatre until the end of January but it has now been revealed that more investigative work on the Grade II-listed building is essential.
The Guildhall, which is part of Derby LIVE and is run by the city council, had remained open for several months while the work was ongoing.
Councillor Alan Grimadell, the authority’s cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism, said, “at the end of the day health and safety has to come first. We have a responsibility to look after our staff and audiences.
“We don’t want to disappoint audiences. There are a number of venues within the city that can accommodate these productions and we’re directing promoters to those venues.”
The council now does not have anywhere to stage events as its other venue, the Assembly Rooms, was badly damaged by a fire in 2014. It will shortly be refurbished and will reopen in two years.