King's Head Theatre Announces Plans to Keep Audience Connected During the Health Crisis

King's Head Theatre has released the following statement regarding upcoming plans amid the health crisis:

At times like this the world can seem frightening and we know the power of spaces like theatre to be unifying powers in the darkness.

We also make theatre with passion and a commitment to keep our community: our artists, audiences, staff and collaborators safe and well and with huge sadness we have therefore decided to close the theatre from today until 11th April due to the current health situation.

In times like this, being unsubsidised can hurt a venue like us more than ever: you'll have no doubt heard our bucket speech - we rely on 80% ticket sales as income to keep the venue open. That said we have contingency plans for times like this and we are grateful more than ever to our donors of every size.

We are committed to paying all our artists who were due to be working right now in the building two weeks pay.

We are committed to paying all our zero hour workers, Front of House staff and Duty Techs, two weeks average pay.

We are committed to removing the cost of rent from all companies due to be in the building during our closure.

As a small venue, a covers-every-posibility insurance policy would never be affordable and as such we don't have the option of a payout for this decision but our first and foremost priority is the health and wellbeing of the community.

We may not be able to be in person.

But we can be online.

From today, for free, every weekday at 1pm for 30 minutes, we will be streaming a different window into the theatre accessible to everybody: our entire community, from artists to audiences to just Facebook followers, we can stay connected and we can develop together.

Today that will be a Q&A with our Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher. Future Tuesdays will be Q&As with other staff members.

Wednesdays will be aimed at small companies where you can 'Ask Us Anything'

Thursdays will be a Skills Session with a leading industry professional: it could be a Director, Writer, Designer - the sky is the limit

Fridays a Book Club looking at a play text together that you can read online (this week Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler)

Mondays a Companies Take Over: we will bring you some of our favourite artists online

You can find these on our Facebook and Instagram.

If you were due to be coming to see a show in the coming weeks we would like to give you three options:

First, if you would like a refund you are of course entitled to one and we will refund you in full: all fees. Everything.

Second, if you would be up for taking a credit note instead and committing to coming to the King's Head Theatre once we are open again that would make a huge difference to our cashflow right now.

Third, if you can spare the cost of your ticket, or even part of the cost of your ticket, and would be up for donating that back to us it would help keep us alive. We can't tell you the difference the donors in our community make: from those who give £1 all the way up to those who give thousands.

For now: we wish you wellness and online connection.

With love from your King's Head Theatre family.

For more information on what to do if you have booked a ticket for a performance up until 11th April, visit www.kingsheadtheatre.com/your-visit/venue-closure

To post a comment, you must register and login.