May 13th, 2005
Abbey Theatre Resignations
So Ben Barnes and Brian Jackson have resigned from the board of Dublin’s Abbey Theatre. The reason cited is that the theatre’s debt is actually twice what it was thought to be. There’s a detailed account of where Arts Council funding goes on their website, and last year the Abbey & Peacock theatres received 5,050,000 euro in funding. So how does it record a debt of 1.85million euro? Apparently the true figure only came to light after a mistake in the company’s accounts system was discovered.
With a debt like that, what can the Abbey do to start recovering? Move? Expand? Extend the range of plays they put on? Shorter/lengthen runs? Whatever way you look at it, it’s a big debt and it leaves the future of the National Theatre in doubt.
Unless of course Malcolm Glazer steps in…