Liverpool's Epstein Theatre to shut after funding cut

Liverpool's renowned Epstein Theatre is to close at the end of the month when financial support from the city council comes to an end.

The theatre, based in Hanover House, opened as a performance space in 1913.

Liverpool City Council said it could no longer provide financial support to the theatre due to budget cuts.

Epstein Entertainments Ltd, which runs the theatre, said it was "heartbroken" after "exploring every avenue" to save it.

It said all productions up until 30 June would go ahead as planned.

The company was awarded the contract to operate the Grade II listed theatre on behalf of Liverpool City Council in October 2018.

It followed the theatre being left under "unbearable" financial pressure by former assistant manager Kelvin Lloyd who stole £273,000 from it between April 2016 and December 2017.

Lloyd was jailed in 2019 after admitted the theft which pushed the theatre into administration.

The firm said it had asked the authority for £50,000 a year for the next five years but it had been rejected.

Chantelle Nolan, the artistic and operations director of Epstein Entertainments, told BBC Radio Merseyside: "All of us at the Epstein are absolutely heartbroken.

"We have done everything we possibly can to keep the theatre alive and well.

"The company Epstein Entertainments Ltd is solvent and the company is doing well but unfortunately Liverpool City Council have pulled their funding... and they decided not to carry on their lease with the landlord.

"It is a kind of catch-22 because whoever is running the theatre hasn't got a lease [and] you can't apply for Arts Council funding so it is a vicious circle."

Describing the situation as "so sad", she said the company had "explored every avenue" but "we have just come to the end of the road... unless a massive investor wants to pull us out of the mud".

Councillor Harry Doyle, cabinet member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, said it was a "massive shame but ultimately it's got to be sustainable and we have supported this as much as we possibly can".

He said the council had given the theatre £100,000 a year "but we've got to make some tough decisions... when it comes to our budget savings".

The 380-capacity theatre was previously known as Cranes Music Hall, Cranes Theatre and The Neptune Theatre before being renamed in memory of The Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

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