Stratford Town Trust hopeful for PlayHouse future as operators show interest in taking on venue

“THE PlayHouse is NOT closing for good,” was the loud and clear message delivered by the Stratford Town Trust this week following confusion after the announcement that the current operator was pulling out.

The news broke via a press release from the town trust last Wednesday (4th December) that Stratford Play House Ltd had given notice and that the venue would therefore be temporarily closing.

Sara Aspley, chief executive at the town trust said in the release: “Stratford Town Trust is disappointed to have received notice from, the Stratford Play House Ltd, that it is terminating its agreement early and, as a consequence, the venue will close on 31st January 2025.

“Since receiving this news we have spent some time in discussions with the Stratford Play House Ltd in an effort to find a way for the venue to remain open.

“Despite our best endeavours, regrettably none of the options offered by the operator were realistic.”

Confusion followed when the artistic director of the PlayHouse, Rebecca Hallworth, put out a statement on Facebook in response which people read as contradictory to the town trust’s version of events.

Ms Hallworth said: “We were both shocked and disappointed that Stratford Town Trust has issued a statement regarding the closure of the PlayHouse without prior communication with us as the venue operator.”

This elicited a sympathetic response, as Facebook users interpreted the PlayHouse’s wording as indicating it was the town trust’s decision to shut the venue.

Ms Aspley was happy to clarify and quick to reassure Herald readers this week that the venue was still very much a going concern.

She said: “We really have been working hard with the PlayHouse operator to try to find a solution for some considerable time. Our conversations have been focusing on keeping something going on for the remaining period of our agreement.”

Many residents praised the operators for putting on some good shows over the years – naming the likes of Robert Plant and popular comedy nights.

However, Ms Aspley pointed out that the trust gave an annual grant (last year’s was £61,000) to support community work at the venue and this was the trust’s priority.

“While all the commercial things are much loved and well attended, actually, the grant is there to support the community work. So that’s our current focus – making sure that the community events are able to continue.”

She continued: “I can’t say it strongly enough how committed we are to that building remaining a community asset – a venue and resource.”

Since the news emerged that Play House Ltd would be relinquishing control of the venue, there have been “five informal contacts from people who are expressing an interest in coming forward as venue operators,” Ms Aspley told the Herald. “That feels incredibly hopeful and positive,” she added.

The process to select a new operator will start in the new year. Whatever happens there will be a gap between the current PlayHouse managers leaving and new operators coming in while work is done in the building, including taking the old branding down.

Ms Aspley says she is mindful that running an arts venue in the current climate is not without its challenges, but was hopeful that the size and flexibility of the venue would ensure it could thrive.

“With little venues, it can be tricky to make the sums add up. But I think the opportunity that you’ve got here is that it can take big productions, but also have more intimate shows in the foyer – which is a great flexible space. There’s that economy of scale.

“It feels like there’s some great opportunities there for the right operator, and to build that real portfolio of offer between commercial and community groups.”

A number of producers in Stratford have told the Herald they welcome new operators coming in and giving the venue a new vigorous and professional approach.

But they also said more needed to be done to improve the building’s facilities, including better dressing rooms and public toilets, and even work on leaky ceilings.

“It doesn’t feel like a pleasant place to be or somewhere you could host big names,” one said.

“I think it needs a clever operator who will actively promote shows and the venue.”

Ms Hallworth, co-directed Play House Ltd with Paul Rushton until his resignation in November - published on Companies House on 12th December. Xanthe Preist is also listed as a director. Ms Hallworth declined to respond to the Herald’s request for comment, saying they were “not in position to comment at present”.

District councillor Dominic Skinner (Lib Dem, Quinton) was part of the ‘Save Stratford ArtsHouse’ campaign in 2018 when it was feared the venue would close.

This week he repeated the belief that the venue should be given over to the community to manage.

“This should have always been a community-run venue,” he said. “I was surprised that this operator was handed the keys in the first place, and I can appreciate it’s a tough venue to manage so wish to pass on my best wishes to those involved.

“My position has always been that this venue should always be for the community and its benefit.

“I only hope the town trust take the views of the community seriously this time. I felt those voices weren’t heard when we ran a very popular and well supported campaign to save the venue.

“I hope they undertake a detailed strategic review and decide what they want this space to become. Part of that consultation should be to engage with community groups and look at other examples of similar venues around the country.

“We have some amazing small venues within the town. The Attic theatre at Cox’s Yard and I’m a proud trustee at the neighbouring Bear Pit theatre that is going from strength to strength. If Shakespeare were alive today, it’s venues like this that would be there to showcase his work as an amateur. Are we doing enough to support the budding Shakespeares of tomorrow?”