Theatre

King George's Hall in Blackburn will undergo an £8m renovation, it has been announced.

The Lancashire Telegraph reports that the money will come from a Levelling-Up grant of £20m to Blackburn with Darwen Council from the government, with the work concentrating on the interior of the building.

The remainder of the new money will go on refurbishment of nearby Tony’s Ballroom, the redevelopment of Blackburn's historic town centre The Exchange building, and transforming the Imperial Mill for employment and cultural use .

Blackburn with Darwen Council Leader Phil Riley said: "The announcement comes after months of hard work between council and government officials, who have together developed a strong investment package to support town centre growth priorities.

"At the heart of the bid is an impressive £8m to renovate the ever-popular King George’s Hall - a key element of Blackburn’s new £50m Cultural Quarter.

"There’ll also be new investment for the likes of Tony’s Ballroom, The Exchange and Imperial Mill.

"I am delighted with the money for King George's Hall which is an vital part of the cultural, artistic and leisure life of the borough and wider area."

Wandsworth Council has agreed to extend Battersea Arts Centre’s (BAC) rent-free period until 2035 saving it in the region of £270,000.

Operating since 1974, BAC is a charity based in Battersea's Old Town Hall. The venue is a key partner in Wandsworth’s bid to be named London Borough of Culture 2025. 

BAC’s Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer Tarek Iskander said: “At a time when so many councils are cutting back on arts and culture funding, we’re exceptionally lucky to have such brilliant support from Wandsworth Borough Council. 

“2024 is an incredibly special year as we celebrate our 50th anniversary as an arts centre. BAC has always been part of a thriving arts community in Wandsworth, and that is in no small part due to the vital support we receive from the council, who continue to reaffirm their belief in the importance of arts and culture to public life.”

Council Deputy Leader and lead spokesperson on arts and culture Kemi Akinola added that she was delighted the council would “continue to offer such tangible and effective support” to BAC.

“BAC is not just Wandsworth’s but one of the UK’s leading cultural organisations, playing a vital role on the local, regional and national stage. 

“Not only does it bring significant footfall to the borough, over a third of their audiences have always been very local, appreciating the ground-breaking and unique work it provides on their doorsteps. 

“Most of their shows are offered as pay what you can, and with almost universal relaxed performances, making them more accessible to local underserved communities than any other London theatre.”

Chickenshed Theatre removed a short play from a new writing showcase over concerns that its key theme of a British woman of Palestinian heritage trying to speak with her father in Israel did not include "the space or time for dialogue" given "the complexity of the situation in the Middle East".

Written and performed by Gemilla Shamrock, who works as a BA Tutor and mentor at Chickenshed, with Senior Creative Producer Dave Carey, Conversations with My Father was among ten short plays included in Chickenshed’s annual new writing review Changes Rota Two, which ran from 6 - 17 February.

In a statement on the company's website, Chickenshed Theatre said: "Conversations with my Father’ was an 8-minute piece created by Chickenshed, exploring the conversations between a father and daughter covering everything from tik-tok to football but also their sadness at the current situation in the Middle East.

"The piece was shown twice as part of Changes as, upon reflection and taking into account the incredible complexity of the situation in the Middle East, we felt the format of the platform did not provide the necessary opportunity for an open conversation or nuanced discussion to take place between Chickenshed and audiences around the themes and ideas explored in the piece.

"It is not uncommon for pieces in our new writing programme to be performed only once or twice, and the themes and stories often continue to be developed well after their initial presentation. 

"We continuously facilitate feedback sessions with audiences and our artists to ensure that inclusivity continues to lie at the heart of everything that Chickenshed does. Presenting Conversations with my Father as part of Changes did not include the space or time for a dialogue of this kind.

"The diversity of backgrounds and identities within the Chickenshed communities means that these stories are varied and often complex when they come together. Chickenshed aims to create an inclusive space for everyone, and we welcome open conversation surrounding topics that affect our audiences, our artists and students alike."

Nottingham-based fringe theatre comany Nonsuch will relocate to a cinema in the city after moving out of its previous premises at the end of last year.

The charity, which was last year unsuccessful in an application for Arts Council England investment as part of the 2023-26 National Portfolio, will now be based at the independent Broadway cinema.

It took the decision to leave its previous premises due to the "ever-increasing costs of operating a venue in challenging economic circumstances".

Announcing the move, it said it will now begin the refocusing of work away from venue operations to return to its roots of producing and touring contemporary performance, working with communities across the East Midlands.

‍Edward Boott, Artistic Director and CEO of Nonsuch, said: “This is an epic move for the whole Nonsuch team as we relocate to refocus on our producing and community programme work. 

"We’re so thrilled and honoured to have been invited by the incredible team at Broadway to become residents in their iconic building and can’t wait for all the magical collaborations and partnerships our new home might bring.”

Soho Theatre, London, has issued a statement apologising for an “incident” on 10 February that is understood to have involved a comedian directing chants of "free Palestine" toward an Israeli man.

The National Portfolio Organisation said it was “sorry and saddened” by the incident that took place at a performance of Paul Currie: Shtoom on Saturday, 10 February, which “caused upset and hurt to members of the audience attending and others".

“We take this very seriously and are looking into the details of what happened as thoroughly, as sensitively, and as quickly as we can. It is important to us that Soho Theatre is a welcoming and inclusive place for all,” the theatre said.

According to a witness who shared their experience with the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), Currie became involved in a verbal altercation with an Israeli audience member who did not join in with a standing ovation, citing the comedian’s use of the Palestinian flag as a prop.

The witness claims Currie led the audience in chants of “free Palestine” and “get out”.

Soho Theatre later confirmed on social media that: "Jewish members of the audience were subjected to verbal abuse and the performer aggressively demanding they leave the theatre."

The venue said it had launched an investigation discussing the incident with that evening's audience and consulting with the police.

Soho Theatre said: "Such appalling actions are unacceptable and have no place on our stages, now or ever. We will not be inviting Paul Currie back to perform at our venue.

"Whilst we robustly support the right of artists to express a wide range of views in their shows, intimidation of audience members, acts of antisemitism or any other forms of racism will not be tolerated at Soho Theatre."