Staff are to be made redundant at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick which will not re-open until next year because of the coronavirus crisis, it has been announced.
The award-winning theatre – one of the biggest employers in Keswick – has also cancelled its Christmas production of The Borrowers and will be consulting staff over the next two months about implementing an undisclosed number of job losses to create a “significantly smaller team.”
The changes are among a series of measures contained in a sustainability plan all said to be aimed at safeguarding the future of the theatre, which had its most successful financial year last year when it celebrated its 20th anniversary.
In a joint statement, executive director James Cobbold and artistic director Liz Stevenson said: “We’ve come to the incredibly difficult conclusion that we have to take action now to ensure Theatre by the Lake survives this challenging period of disruption and uncertainty.
“Our staff are talented, knowledgeable and creative people who care deeply about the work they do and the difference they make in their community. However, if there is to be theatre in Keswick and if we are to provide employment opportunities in the future, then we have no choice but to consider these actions in the short term.”
They added that it would only re-open in 2021 once Covid-19-related social distancing measures had been removed for theatres nationally and audiences were willing to return in numbers.
Theatre by the Lake is heavily reliant on earned income, normally more than £2.5 million each year, through trading, donations and mostly ticket sales. This means it has been more severely affected by the lockdown closure than many other theatres that receive a greater share of income from the Arts Council.
Measures already taken include the cancellation of the annual summer season. Now the Christmas show has been axed because it required major financial investment in advance “without the confidence to be able to achieve strong audiences due to social distancing and audience concerns.”
Following recent changes in the Government’s Job Retention Scheme, the theatre also confirmed it was having to consider “significant staff redundancies” to reduce its annual payroll costs of just under £1 million. The statement continued: “The theatre has reluctantly concluded that the best way to preserve jobs in the long-run is to ensure that the company comes through this crisis.”
The Theatre by the Lake is the only year-round producing theatre in Cumbria and one of the few repertory theatres in the country. It attracts audiences of 120,000 annually and last year staged several world premieres.
Mr Cobbold and Ms Stevenson, adding their voices to the industry’s calls for the Government to offer specific support for theatres, said: “For the theatre industry to survive this crisis, we must see further investment quickly. Over recent years, theatres have worked hard to operate on reducing levels of public subsidy by increasing their reliance on high ticket sales and as a result are at greater threat in this unprecedented crisis. Britain’s world-class reputation for theatre, its vital positive impact upon audience’s health and wellbeing and the significant contribution it makes to the economy must be protected for the future.”
The theatre has two stages, a 400-seat main house and 100-seat studio, and presents up to nine of its own productions throughout the year as well as hosting festivals and visiting companies. It is the only Arts Council-funded producing theatre in Cumbria and for five years running it has been voted the Most Welcoming Theatre in the North West in the UK Theatre Awards.
