Trafalgar Entertainment Releases Statement Asking For Financial Support From The Government For the Theatre Industry

Dame Rosemary Squire, Joint Chief Executive of Trafalgar Entertainment, has pledged for the Government to act now and offer financial support and compensation to the theatre industry.

In her statement, Rosemary argues for lifeline schemes to be reinstated, an immediate return to 5% VAT on ticket sales and business rates relief, the reintroduction of the furlough and job retention schemes and more.

Trafalgar Entertainment is the second biggest theatre company in the UK, with Trafalgar Theatre in the West End, HQ Theatres' 14 regional venues, and the new Olympia Theatre in West London.

Read the full statement below:

The Government must act now and offer financial support and compensation to our world-beating theatre, live entertainment and hospitality industries or we will struggle to survive.

Whilst we are doing everything we can within our theatres to protect staff, customers and performers through robust safety measures, the virulent Covid Omicron variant is now causing huge disruption and irreparable damage to an already fragile theatre industry. In what would usually be our busiest time of year, we are now sadly witnessing cancelled performances across the board and outbreaks of Covid amongst casts and production staff. This, coupled with the confusing and contradictory Government messaging is causing consumer confidence to plummet. The Government must act now and offer financial support and compensation to our world-beating theatre, live entertainment and hospitality industries or we will struggle to survive. Our industries depend on each other, but we can't do this alone.

Lifeline schemes that the Government only very recently switched off, could easily be reinstated. With our industry colleagues, we are appealing to the Government for the following help. An immediate return to 5% VAT on ticket sales and business rates relief on cultural buildings, the reintroduction of the furlough and job retention schemes and a widening of the eligibility criteria to the Culture Recovery Fund to include previous recipients of CRF repayable finance, along with a change to the formation date requirements to allow more commercial productions, who may have only formed since theatres reopened earlier this year, to apply to the strand. We're also asking for a change to Theatre Tax Relief legislation to allow for expense incurred since 27 October to benefit from the higher rate, that will give producers in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors greater confidence and resilience, whilst also continuing to incentivise future work.

Covid and its doubtless many variants will be around for many years, so we all need to find ways to live with it. And as we look ahead to 2022 and beyond, our industry will continue to face these challenges, and we must all be prepared to adapt, innovate and reassure.

Another lockdown without the appropriate financial support in place would be disastrous. Tens of thousands of jobs, livelihoods and people's mental health depend on it. The economic impact would be huge. We cannot be left in such a critical state. Theatre is a refuge and a joy in times like these - we need to protect it.

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