Performances at Aylesbury's theatre suspended until April
The company behind it ATG confirmed all performances are suspended until then
The company behind Aylesbury's theatre have confirmed the suspension of upcoming performances.
Performances at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre will not go ahead until April after the company running the entertainment hub suspended all shows.
The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) made the announcement in light of “ongoing social distancing restrictions” caused by the surge in Covid-19 cases nationally.
A statement read: “Unfortunately, as a result of ongoing social distancing restrictions, we have now suspended performances at our UK venues until Saturday 3rd April 2021.
“On behalf of all our staff, backstage crews, front of house teams, actors, dancers, musicians and the entire industry we thank you for your support as we work together to ensure the future success of British Theatre.
“With your ongoing support, we believe we can come back faster and stronger than ever before.”
Customers who have made bookings for suspended performances will be contacted by ATG.
Bookings with confirmed rescheduled dates will be automatically moved to the new dates.
The announcement came before Buckinghamshire Council’s culture boss was quizzed about the support the authority is providing for the theatre.
The Waterside Theatre has experienced huge disruption to its programme since the pandemic began.
Councillor Peter Cooper said: “It’s one of our major assets but it is currently very dark indeed in the theatrical sense and the business sense.
“It’s got one of the largest open floor spaces in the county and it doesn’t seem to be performing any sort of operation at the moment.
“I know it’s an immensely complex building and I hope someone is looking after it properly.”
Cllr Cooper also claimed the community had ‘heard nothing’ from ATG about when the theatre might be re-opening.
Sophie Payne, Buckinghamshire Council’s culture chief, responded: “We are in regular contact with the Waterside Theatre and also the Wycombe Swan Theatre.
“Like the vast majority of cultural organisations, they have put a huge proportion of staff on furlough, but they do have people in essential maintenance working within the properties and their commercial managers with whom we are discussing their plans for re-opening.
“Obviously pre-Christmas they had been hopeful they would be able to start their programmes sooner but subsequently with the latest lockdown that will have been pushed back.
“But certainly, they are also in constant contact with show producers to plan ahead for that programme.”
Councillors discussed the support for Aylesbury Waterside Theatre at a Buckinghamshire Council Communities meeting on Thursday, January 21.