Crisis at Hackney Empire

An emergency Arts Council meeting is set to determine the future of one of London's most famous theatres.

Plans to reopen the Hackney Empire as part of a £15 million refurbishment have been thrown into confusion.

The building firm in charge of the lavish rebuild went into administration earlier this month - and all work immediately ceased.

Hackney Empire's artistic director Roland Muldoon said: "What makes it so bloody infuriating is that the work is nine-tenths finished."

Work at the 1901 theatre started after the last performance in September 2001. This followed a campaign led by comedian Griff Rhys Jones that raised the £15 million target, with nearly £4 million coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £1.3 million from businessman Sir Alan Sugar.

Mr Muldoon will today ask the Arts Council, which contributed £5 million to the project, for permission to either take direct charge of the last stages of construction or appoint a new contractor.

He said: "Those are options but we do not know if the Arts Council will approve either of them. If we get the go ahead we should be able to be finished as planned, but if they need time to review the situation it seems very unlikely."

If work is delayed for more than a few weeks the Hackney Empire will not be ready to open as planned on 8 September, and the play which was to christen the reborn venue will be cancelled.

Elmina's Kitchen, a hit at the National Theatre, is Kwame Kwei-Armah's acclaimed drama about the struggles and dreams of black Londoners trying to survive on Hackney's Murder Mile - and is scheduled for a two-week run at the Empire.

Sir Peter Hall's production of As You Like It and a star-studded gala on 28 September may also have to be cancelled.

But the loss of Elmina's Kitchen, which has brought a large new black audience to the National, would be particularly painful. Mr Muldoon said: "You want theatre to be pertinent, about society, and this is exactly that. The situation is desperately frustrating."

The entire building has been refurbished and added to, with new features including an orchestra pit for up to 60 musicians, dressing rooms and a pub.

An Arts Council spokesman told the Standard: "We remain committed to the completion of this project and we are working closely with the Hackney Empire and other stakeholders."