A year after closure, Oxford theatres fight for their survival

A year ago today, theatres across the country went dark as part of measures to control the spread of coronavirus. UK Theatre, the industry body that represents most theatres announced the closure of about 250 venues after Boris Johnson said people should avoid pubs, clubs and theatres as part of “drastic action” to tackle the pandemic.

Most venues have remained shut since, losing the vast majority of their income. And despite aid from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund, they are still fighting for their survival.

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The Oxford Playhouse has been particularly badly hit, losing three quarters of its turnover and seeing ticket sales and bar takings disappear. With the theatre contributing over £13m to the local economy every year, there has been a dramatic knock-on effect.

Co-director Louise Chantal said: “We are fighting for our survival. We have only been given funding to survive the current financial year – which ends in about two weeks.”

She added: “It’s very hard to describe the last year. We have despaired, rallied, been buoyed by humbling and inspiring support from so many, opened and shut again. Several shows have been cancelled and rescheduled three or four times.

“We closed with 138 regular and irregular staff on payroll. We now have 27. We’ve been awarded nearly £750,000 in cultural relief funding – grants usually make up 11 per cent of our turnover, this year it was 78 per cent. The corollary of that is that sales usually make up over 80 per cent of our budget – this year it was two per cent. The fact fundraising made up for so much of that lost income, contributing well over £300,000 already to keep the Playhouse solvent, is a testament to the love felt for the theatre and the generosity of our audience members. We will never be able to thank people enough.”

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She added: “Theatres in Britain are worth £1.3bn per annum in ticket sales alone and generate over £1bn in VAT revenue for HMRC. Over 34 million people attend a show each year – more than the Premier League – and 176,000 of them came to the Oxford Playhouse in our last year of operation. We’re a viable, successful sector of the national and local economy. We can’t wait to open our doors again in May – maybe – and be together again.

“We are not assuming audiences will come back quickly or to the same level, though, and without more support the Playhouse will be struggling by the end of the year. No amount of funding is going to take the place of 80 per cent of our income.”

Because of the closure, theatres have found new ways to work, switching to online productions. Tonight the Oxford Playhouse presents an online world premiere co-production of The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley.

Oxfordshire theatres, such as the Old Fire Station, lit up their buildings with red light last July to highlight the financial emergency in the sector. Many will do the same tonight

The Old Fire Station, in George Street, Oxford, has also had to turn to technology. Director Jeremy Spafford said: “What a year for the Old Fire Station. While our building has been closed, we’ve been working furiously, our team huddled in their own homes.

We started out the pandemic by teaming up with Oxford Hub to help support their Oxford Together initiative. Our staff joined theirs on the phones, and we helped people tell their stories of the pandemic.

“We continued to support people facing tough times, and gave everyone opportunities to be creative. This year we’ve learned the importance of relationships and connection, and of our local Oxfordshire family. The building is closed but we are open.”

Youth theatre Pegasus, in East Oxford, has also had to find new ways to work and will continue to work on online when the lockdown lifts. Polly Cole, executive director, said: “We’re thankful that during such a disruptive and challenging time, we’ve been able to offer our young participants and families creative opportunities throughout, which has also meant we’ve been able to support our team of freelancers and artists. This has mostly had to be online. Moving forward, we are likely to be keeping digital activity running alongside our live programme. Beyond the pandemic, this will help us reach audiences who may find it difficult to get to Pegasus for all sorts of reasons.”

Oxfordshire theatres, such as The North Wall, lit up their buildings with red light last July to highlight the financial emergency in the sector. Many will do the same tonight

The North Wall arts centre in Summertown has held a handful of socially-distanced performances while also turning to digital productions – live streaming shows from the theatre and hosting online exhibitions, talks and podcasts and holding online workshops. Amy Walters is a manager at the South Parade venue. She said: “There’s nothing quite like the experience of watching live theatre and the electric atmosphere that comes with being part of a live audience. And When venues are allowed to reopen, The North Wall plans to continue to include new digital formats in our programme. For us, it’s been a great opportunity to reach audiences that we might not connect with otherwise.”

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John Terry, director of The Theatre Chipping Norton said: “It has been a year of dramatic uncertainty. and, as for many, the constant readjustment of expectations. We are determined to provide entertainment and creative inspiration this summer, and are planning a whole host of activities from outdoor cinema to outdoor Shakespeare, audio tours around the town and outdoor art exhibitions.

John Terry, artistic director at Chipping Norton Theatre. Picture: West Oxfordshire District Council

"It is not about replacing the live with something digital, but about finding ways to enjoy art and entertainment safely, as a community.

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“We feel incredibly well supported by our community and by the wider arts sector. It has been a record-breaking fundraising year for us, meaning that we have got through the year with our whole staff team in-tact. We are ready and raring to get back up and running as soon as we can. For our own sanity and that of our community, and for the sake of many thousands of creative freelancers we employ, we need to get making and presenting theatre, cinema, art, comedy, music and creative activities again.”