Royal Exchange Theatre Enters Period of Redundancy Consultation With Staff; 65% of Permanent Jobs at Risk

Manchester Evening News has reported that Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre has entered a period of redundancy consultation with its staff, with 65% of permanent jobs at risk.

Read the full story HERE.

In a statement, the theatre bosses shared:

"As such, the impact of lockdown and our ability to operate commercially has been, and will continue to be, considerable,"

"At the moment, we simply can't trade, as live performances are not allowed in theatres. Even if we were allowed to open, whilst there are still social distancing measures in place, it is just not financially viable within our current structure.

"From the government's recent announcements, there is nothing on the table which gives us confidence or clarity to be able to restart any activities in the immediate future.

"As a direct result of this, and the dramatic loss of income associated with it, we have no other choice than to scale back the organisation and reduce our overheads in order to survive.

"This means that we have been forced to make the incredibly hard decision to enter a period of redundancy consultation with our staff. At the end of this period we may have to make up to 65% of permanent roles redundant.

"This is devastating and very painful. We have explored all other possible options and this is the last resort in protecting the future of the Royal Exchange Theatre.

"The primary focus now is our duty of care to our staff. We have an incredible team of people who have shown enormous commitment and resilience. This is a very sad and difficult time for everyone involved."

Read the full story HERE.

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