The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) has taken over management of the Theatre Royal Glasgow from Scottish Opera in a deal that is expected to save the beleaguered national company some £250,000 a year. A year of negotiations has concluded with Glasgow Council offering to pay ATG £235,000 to the run the venue in 2005/06, £130,000 per annum for the following four years and £55,000 a year thereafter.
The Council support is conditional on ATG securing additional funding from the Scottish Arts Council. ATG will also lease back the venue to Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet for around half the year, with the rest of the programme being filled with ?high quality live entertainment.? Christopher Barron, Chief Executive of Scottish Opera, welcomed the move, ?We believe that the Theatre Royal is in safe hands with ATG. We look forward to working with the management of ATG to continue to provide the very best facilities and environment for our audiences in Scotland.? ATG already controls 24 theatre venues throughout the UK including the King?s Theatre Glasgow, which it took over in 2002. Since then, the venue?s annual audience figures have increased from 314,000 to 442,000.
Published: 14-03-2005