London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Can the show go on? Britain's theatres fear the dark

Can the show go on? Britain's theatres fear the dark

British theatres are negotiating with energy suppliers, investing in hot water bottles and dusting off generators as they live in dread of blackouts and utility bills they cannot pay.

Their problems echo those across society as the Ukraine war and its impact on energy supplies have exacerbated a cost-of-living crisis in Britain, where inflation rates are among the highest in the developed world.

People want escapist fun more than ever, and musicals and Christmas shows are drawing record audiences, but attendance figures for the year overall lag pre-pandemic levels and pantomime jokes about utility bills generate nervous laughter.

Steve Mannix, executive director at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, to the northeast of London, says half in earnest that he has told the cast of "Beauty and the Beast" to stick to the script for fear of running over time: the emergency back-up generators waiting in the wings have only three hours of capacity.

"In 37 years in this industry, this is the hardest," Mannix said.

Even after a 14 million pound ($17 million) refit to install triple glazing, low energy lights and solar panels that has put the theatre in the country's top 25% of environmentally-friendly public buildings, Mannix says its cash reserves will run out in six months' time unless the government provides more help.

The Mercury Theatre's annual energy bill is set to reach 120,000 pounds ($147,432), up from 40,000 pounds last year.

It cannot pass on the extra cost, in part because many tickets were sold months in advance, and in part because theatre-goers have limited cash to spare.

"We know this is a difficult time for theatres and we remain firmly on their side," a government spokesperson said by email, without specifying whether energy and tax relief for the arts would be extended.

The relief is currently expected to decrease at the start of April.


HOT WATER BOTTLES


Figures vary as some London theatres benefit from tourists lured by sterling's weakness while classical music and more experimental theatre suffer the biggest audience declines.

But overall, tickets sales for some of the country's top theatres were down 38% in the three months to August from the pre-COVID average, according to data providers The Audience Agency. A brief improvement earlier this year vanished as the cost-of-living crisis took hold.

Nine out of 10 theatres are worried for their future, with eight out of 10 saying they need deep cost cuts to survive, research commissioned by Ecclesiastical Insurance and shared with Reuters showed.

Theatres rely on insurance in case of cancellation, for instance because of blackouts, though premiums have also risen.

Ecclesiastical commissioned research by OnePoll, which interviewed representatives of 100 theatres and found nearly half were renegotiating suppliers' contracts, reducing opening hours and reducing staff hours.

Even the big private theatre groups are worried.

Trafalgar Theatres, which operates 13 venues across Britain, including in London, said in emailed comments it had so far seen a 200% increase in energy costs.

"Theatre operators are having to look at all costs and all revenue streams to remain viable," it said.

In the small independent venues, where budgets have always been stretched to breaking point, the battle to survive continues.

"Energy strategy - we bought some hot water bottles. That's about it. We're just struggling on," said Neil McPherson, artistic director at the Finborough Theatre based in a west London pub.

($1 = 0.8139 pounds)

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×