I am appalled by this news.It is vital that a city the size of Derby has a theatre. What’s the point of having a smart new shopping centre, if there’s no cultural heart to the city. The high ticket sales since news of the closure show how popular the theatre can be. Surely Derby Council could offer a limited loan to help the theatre reestablish itself. It is particularly disappointing that ACE has not seen fit to support Derby given the apparently better treatment of Nottingham and the fact that Derby does not have another permanent theatre.

So we’ll be getting that house of fraser after all? I’m sure DCC are having a party right now.

ACE and DCC have been planning this from day one, why else would DCC withdraw vital funds the day before Treasure Island opens?

Location location location!
And what prime location, as a property developer myself I could see it all along, but as a parent of one of the youth theatre members I hope that DCC would prove me wrong! There is no wondered this country is going to the dogs it all revolves around money! Where is the pride in what this country has to produce? Gone to retail still we can always
sell sell sell (oh you are going to!)

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank Arts Council England and the Derby City Council for their continued support of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. As many of you know thousands of multi-billion pound developers and contractors rely on the Olympic Games for their continued survival.

While theatres like the Derby Playhouse continue to swallow up much needed funds under the premise of “Art” or “Education” or “Culture” the Olympics strives for a much more greater and higher aim… property development. Unless ACE continues to allow theatres like Derby Playhouse to close there is no doubt in my mind that many hundreds of developers, property tycoons, PR companies and wealthy athletes will have to source alternative means of funds.

Remember,

A theatre is just for christmas, the Olympics is for life.

What a stupid and arrogant comment from olympicrunner. Seems to reflect the attitude of Derby City Council and the Arts Council. The olympic games has swallowed up huge sums of money which would otherwise have been spent on saving this countries heritage. These are scarce resources which we will never get back - rather like the fiasco of the Dome. All these resources have gone to London and the South East. I and my children were privilaged to enjoy world class drama eight times a year at the Playhouse. This has now been stolen from us by Derby City Council, the Arts Council and Westfield who seemed to have bought up the whole centre of Derby including the valuble site on which the Playhouse stands. My family will not be traveling to the olympics in London which will happen once only. Meanwhile Derby City Council have not only got rid of the Playhouse they have got their paws on £743,810 which would have saved out theatre. How’s that for conflict of interest?

What a rollercoaster of events!! I am really upset to think that we will no longer have our superb theatre. Your details of the grants to Leicester and Nottingham make really interesting reading. I can not speak for the Leicester Haymarket as I have never visited it but Derby Playhouse far surpasses Nottingham Theatre Royal and Nottingham Playhouse. I have been a frequent visitor to Derby Playhouse and have seen so many good productions there over many years!! We can not afford to lose such a good theatre!!!! Lets hope something can be achieved in the next fourteen days.

If Derby Council are still pledging to run live theatre in Derby, then why are they closing the Playhouse? Why has the Arts Council ceased funding to the Playhouse? I thought an Arts Coucil would SUPPORT theatre, a major branch of “Art” …….scratching my head with disbelief. And why have they knocked back private funding in the past, only to now publicly say they’re open to offers? Having worked in theatre & been through a couple of traumatic theatre closures myself, I just can’t fathom out the reasoning behind these idiotic decisions. But I guess I don’t know the FULL story ………

Paul:

I think olympicrunner had his tongue firmly in his cheek….

Its so complicated….wish I knew the answers to the questions youve bought forward…..
I think it ludicrous that the Arts council have supposedly given the city coucil the £700,000 when it has always been given to the Playhouse….

The things I read go over my head, but when push comes to shove the only real question is “have we lost our beautiful PLayhouse?” and why ?
Its diabloical…so much corruption, so many questions that NEED answering, in words that the man / woman In the street understand…
The pound / dollar signs have done away with the need of the “common” people…I dont mean that in a derogatry way….
Two things are bringing me hope….
1stly…we know we’ve done everything asked of us, not cos we needed to, but cos we wanted to…
2ndly theres the old saying “What goes around, comes around”
Those who’ve robbed the people of one of the greatest provincial theatre in the country will get just what they deserve….one day….I have enough pateince to wait and see that day….
Meantime lets keep our memories happy when we think of that dear theatre…Joyce Kinton X

Yes Nigel. Thanks! I realised afterwards but couldn’t recall my comment. Please just ignore the first line - the rest is acurate as far as I know. ‘Fraid this whole mess has left me very disappointed and rather angry; particularly as, after some deliberation, the Arts Council have refused to send me the reasons for their decision on the grounds of “commercial sensitivity”. Commercial Sensitivity rergarding who? you might ask. This raises a rather important issue: How can an organisation funded with taxpayers money be held accountable if their decision making process in not open to public scrutiny? My experience, sadly, has taught me not to accept the competence of such organisations on trust. If all their decisions were sound why have they reversed so many of them due to public pressure. I think that the Playhouse weakened by Westfield and the City Council was too easy a target for them to give up. I think it vital that the Arts Council be made to make their reasons for taking a grant away from the Playhouse and giving to a City Council clear and open. After all, for this decision to be rational, it would imply that the City Council has greater competence is staging drama that the Playhouse. Does anyone believe this to be true?

Olympic Runner, maybe your eyesight is a little poor, but when I read the name ARTS Council England, i dont exactly think about property developing!! The ACE is there to help local regions artistically and culturally, not to fund some stupid sports event that is not even happening for years, and is going to cripple this country as we are simply not big enough and cannot afford to hold this event!! i personally would choose one trip to the Playhouse over a hundred trips to the olympics any day

Paul, if it’s any help here is an extract from the letter from ACE to Derby Playhouse Ltd

“The response to our original proposal did not refute the vast majority of the evidence provided in our original proposal but focussed on the assertion that the organisation would change and deliver a new, viable model - Regional Council was not convinced by this assertion.”

Its A sad day for our beloved theatre, for the staff and the people of Derby, the playhouse is having its heart and soul ripped out of it things will be sold off to pay creditors, years of archives will be destroyed,items which are on loan or hired sent back the fantastic wardrobe department dismantled,I could go on.The playhouse will be left a shell, and all this because of what?I just wish someone out there with money would come along and back the playhouse, it should not be about money or a lease, but I do know the lease belongs to the Derby playhouse thats where it should stay.

I’m getting fed up of reading criticism of every external factor under the sun in this matter, be it the city council, ACE, Westfield etc, when people should actually start thinking about all the mistakes the Playhouse management made. They’re the reason the Playhouse is now closed. Agreed, they didn’t have the biggest budget to survive on and certain times have proved difficult trading periods, but the Playhouse is not unique in having these difficulties. Other theatres survive and seem to do quite well and this has to be put down to being managed well and the money being spent wisely and in accordance with differing trading climates. The city council and ACE have already said that money is allocated for theatre in Derby and with the recent management regime out of the way I’m sure this will be used well and theatre in Derby will flourish once more. I’m just glad that this money will not go to the current Playhouse management just for them to waste it away! Let’s focus our attentions on re-establishing good theatre in Derby, not on trying to find life lines for ineffective theatre managers!

Daniel, would you like to list some or all of the mistakes you contend the Playhouse management made? You seem to have great faith in DCC - time will tell if this is misplaced or not. The management and board of the Playhouse all offered to step down to ensure that funding for the Playhouse could be secured but it made no difference. So was the management really the problem or do DCC & ACE have ulterior motives?

Irrespective of allegations of mismanagement your argument seems flawed Daniel. Both the new board and the existing management have offered to step down from their positions if asked to do so as part of a succesful rescue package.

Whilst I hope we can hold the City and ACE to their word regarding funding for a theatre in derby we’ve yet to hear the minutiae of that commitment… and to be frank the handling of the current situation by ACE and DCC does not instill in me a great deal of trust in them.

I find it rather odd that the ACD and the DCC are waiting two to three weeks to let the theatre lovers of Derby and surrounding areas what they intend to do with the lovley PLayhouse…..
Espeicaly as Jonathan Powers told us on last night of Treasure Island, maybe the last time the stage as we know it will disappear, they have 2 to 3 weeks to find the funding that should have been given to keep theatre ALIVE in Derby……
Seems Jonathan has a mountain to climb….
The real losers are the public of Derby etc…..
If I won the lottery, as a lot of people were saying last Sat night, Id give the cash with no question, without the wimpering and whining and lying the City council have shown over the last 3 months…..
I wouldnt trust either councils as far as I could throw them…
Lets see if they keep their promises…to keep live theatre in Derby, for the people of Derby…
Remember all the promises your local Counsellor makes before each election…then apply those thoughts to the situation in Derby right now……
It will be interesting to see just what they come up with…..
If its anything like the Haymarket in Leicester, we will get a new theatre….maybe 2010…and a carbunckle on the landscape !
Meantime, lets remember how wonderful the REAL theatre have been, with their generosity and encouragement…
It doesnt seem to have any good…but \i hope all those great lovers of theatre will look back in anger….
When theres another local election please remember who and why the existing council did what they did and tell them where to put their **** promises ! Joyce Kinton.

You tell them Joyce,I have not heard the Derby city council or the arts council say they are to reopen the playhouse Daniel,so where is this new model they talk about suppose to come from,all I know is Derby will be without a 5 star producing theatre for a long time, and may never get it back.open your eyes its the lease the council want they could have helped the theatre if they wanted too by removing the management if that was the problem and then moving forward and encouraging, promoting,and supporting the playhouse. no its all to do with the money they will get from the lease. they dont want the playhouse why should they it stands on prime building land lots of other theatre’s have a lot bigger grants than the playhouse had,and this year the arts council increased it for arts in Derby yet none for the one and only producing theatre we have in the city whats that all about then, WATCH THIS SPACE.

I think Laura Dyer’s (ACE Chief Exec’s) comments in todays DET are very well placed. Whilst it isn’t possible to list individual errors of management, judgement, etc what is not in dispute is that the Playhouse was not able to live within it’s means or even within it’s usual means of drawing down payments from next years funding. Public subsidy of the arts is vitally important, but her point about the difference between informed, planned subsidy and blind giving is well made. I also don’t understand the loyalty to the Playhouse building - it;s long been said publically by all sorts of officials that the playhouse as it stands isn’t big enough, so rather than berating the ACE and council for recent actions, I’d suggest that lobbying them to create a purpose built venue in the city centre is the only way forward. I propose the site of the Assembly Rooms - once the white elephant that’s currently there has been knocked down that is!

What can we do to help those who are trying to make sure that live theatre will continue in Derby?
Why has the Arts Council given £700000 to Derby City Council for the arts when they have no history of producing theatre and no-one to do it, although they do hold the lease on a venue where it could be performed? How long do they have to spend the money, because in order to do so they have to appoint people, propose a programme, cast it and rehearse it? It could take until Christmas!
Or will it all be used to support amateur groups who could perform in the Playhouse?
Who appoints the members of the Arts Council to spend our taxes and what qualifications do they have?
It’s all very mysterious and unsatisfatory. I have been a Playhouse supporter for nearly 50 years and it is heart breaking to think that it can just disappear.
I hope that Jonathan Powers and friends are still working behind the scenes to pull a rabbit out of the hat and that they will surprise us all yet.

You tell em Barbara !
Those who are making the most noise arent the ones who are loyal to the Playhouse, both paid and unpaid staff !
Its disgraceful that the councils pulled the wool over peoples eyes….the Arts councils no better either…
I smell a consipracy……..
The ONLY LIVE, REPUTABLE, 5 STAR THEATRE has to be THE PLAYHOUSE “!!!!!!!
All will be revealed in the fullness of time….
The public have done all they can by donating and buying tickets for Treasure Island and encouraging us too….
Seems the man / woman on the street has no say at all about what they want….
I cant beleive that all those sig on the petition and the protests acheived nothing !!!!
The problems have been fully covered by BBC east midlands news and even the National news….
The people of Derby have spoken in words and deeds…
are they deaf or daft ??
I cant wait to see what their next move will be….
The cash will go into the coffers of the council and no-one can do a thing about it….
We have the promise of city and \Arts councils that the future of theatre in Derby will happen…
Lets see if they can keep at least ONE PROMISE !!!
Joyce X

I just wanted to say how touched i am at the loyalty shown to the playhouse from the people who have written on this page. Olympic Runner i think youre bang on, Daniel, be careful before critising our management. i have been a part of the Playhouse for eleven years now, as a youth theatre member, as a community theatre member and until the 2nd February as a paid member of staff. I have never worked for, or with, a better team. We were, and hopefully are still, a family. And that goes for everyone including the management. They might have a bad reputation from the other place they were at for money management, but as directors they are second to none and as people they are nothing short of inspiring. Kit Lane knows more about them than i do.
Laura Dyer, i have this to say to you: I know you are under a lot of pressure to spend as little money as possible on the arts in order to help to better fund the olympics, and i know that you must be experiencing many sleepless nights and may quite possibly have had many cries over the fact that your people hate you for what you are being forced to do because of a w**k government that wouldn’t know “the arts” if it rode them like a pony and made them come like a train. that said, you and your colleagues have pissed me off to the max because of your bending to the will of such people and i therefore have no sympathy for you.
GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND GIVE THE MONEY REQUIRED BACK TO THE PLAYHOUSE!! Because if you don’t you will be remembered in history as the woman who sold out arts in derby for a promotion that you will probably never recieve, and you will be blamed for losing Derby one of THE BEST REGIONAL THEATRES IN THE COUNTRY. As for you Arts Council of England and Derby City Council, be careful, for there are A LOT of angry people out there. A storms coming, but you stop it just by handing over a cheque. Remember that you were voted in by the people to act for the people and the people have spoken: THEY WANT THE PLAYHOUSE. And Derby City Council, although yes we are the people, we are not quite as ignorant and stupid as you might think. We know its all about the lease. Now that is £5,000,000 that you are not entitled to, so just leave it alone.
Fellow supporters, if we keep speaking out, we will eventually make a difference. TTFNx

Methinks it’s all a “numbers game” - the council obviously thinks theatre’s a “poor cousin” to other money-spinners, such as the Westfield redevelopment. I’m smelling a rat where all this Derby Council/Arts Council funding’s concerned. Are they dangling the elusive carrot only to pull it away when people decide to take a nibble? Are they REALLY keen to keep live theatre in Derby? Talk’s cheap - let them come good with the money & their pledge to keep live theatre in Derby - only THEN will I believe their promises.

I realise that Karen Hebden & Stephen Edwards have produced big budget shows. No doubt, they’ve probably gone OVER budget on some of their shows - not a wise thing, given the theatre’s financial position. But recent reports state that “Treasaure Island” made a rather large profit during its run. But not enough to cover debts, it seems.

However, it still doesn’t make sense to me to close a perfectly good theatre when the council NEED a theatre to perform in. Will commonsense prevail? I wait with bated breath ……..

Methinks it’s all a “numbers game” - the council obviously thinks theatre’s a “poor cousin” to other potential money-spinners, such as the Westfield redevelopment of the Eagle Centre. Retail shops versus theatre - can’t the two co-exist happily? Yes, people like to spend money on shopping, but they ALSO like to spend their hard-earned cash on theatre!

I’m smelling a rat where all this Derby Council/Arts Council funding’s concerned. Are they dangling the elusive carrot only to pull it away when people decide to take a nibble? Are they REALLY keen to keep live theatre in Derby? Talk’s cheap - let them come good with the money & their pledge to keep live theatre in Derby - only THEN will I believe their promises.

I realise that Karen Hebden & Stephen Edwards have produced big budget shows. No doubt, they’ve probably gone OVER budget on some of their shows - not a wise thing, given the theatre’s financial position. But recent reports state that “Treasaure Island” made a rather large profit during its run. But not enough to cover debts, it seems.

However, it still doesn’t make sense to me to close a perfectly good theatre when the council NEED a theatre to perform in. Will commonsense prevail? I wait with bated breath ……..

Oh gosh - sorry for posting this twice, folks. I was SO angry, I pushed the wrong button when editing my initial post!