Hammer Blow - Theatres across the country are braced to absorb yet more costs under Labour’s first Budget in office, with large tax rises labelled another "financial hammer blow” for pinched organisations. Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves’ increase to both national insurance for employers and the national living wage has left theatre buildings saddled with potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds more in annual expenditure.
Curve chief executive Chris Stafford told The Stage: "While we actively support increasing the national living wage, this rise in cost alongside the hike in national insurance payments is another financial hammer for theatres and producers. Based on very early projections, the Budget will hit our bottom line by at least £350,000 next year. This is on top of the money we will need to allocate to implement Martyn’s Law, as well as potential costs associated with the proposed ‘Make Work Pay’ legislation."
Stafford added: "This week, we were toasting an incredibly successful 23/24 financial year, and we are fortunate to have a model whereby we have been able to deliver a small surplus year-on-year, but this extraordinary increase in the cost base of the business may result in some very difficult decisions in the years ahead."
Irreversible - West London’s Beck Theatre is to close in January in a move protesters warn will prove "irreversible". Announced in a statement by Hillingdon Council, the imminent closure is the culmination of an ongoing dispute between the council and the venue’s operator Trafalgar Theatres, which said it had been put in an "untenable" position following the council’s withdrawal of its subsidy.
Trafalgar Theatres added that it was in touch with consultants and was determined to assist in the hunt for a new operator. "Our focus now is on ensuring our team at the Beck is protected – and on planning an orderly and professional handover prior to our departure on 13 January.”
Opening Time - A Wetherspoon pub is once again preparing to host an opera inside its Grade II listed building. Die Fledermaus will be performed at the Opera House in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on 16 February. It will be the 15th year running that the company has performed at the pub.
The building, which opened in 1902, was originally constructed to be an opera house and performances have taken place at the pub for the past 20 years. The site became a cinema in 1931 and then a bingo hall nearly 40 years later, before converting to a pub in 1996.
Bristol Sounds - Olly Murs has been announced as one of the first three headliners for Bristol Sounds, which returns to the city’s harbourside from 25 to 29 June 2025. The open-air concert series will also feature Supergrass and Kaiser Chiefs. Set against the backdrop of the Bristol Amphitheatre, the open-air gigs offer a "stellar summer festival experience", according to promoter Crosstown Concerts.
Comic Con - A new comic convention is coming to the East Sussex coast. Hastings Comic Con will take place at the White Rock on 14 and 15 June 2025. The two-day event will have activities and attractions, including meet and greets with actors, writers and illustrators. The Guildhall Trust, which will be running the event, is also responsible for the annual Portsmouth Comic Con. Joker Squad, a charity costume group, will bring its immersive Star Wars experiences to the event. More guests, panels and workshops are set to be announced.
(Jim Evans)
