Stars’ launch pad theatre faces closure

A theatre that helped launch the careers of Cate Blanchett, Jo Brand and Eddie Izzard is facing closure today after being hit by funding cuts.

Bosses at the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon, which celebrates its 35th birthday this year, are launching an appeal to safeguard its future.

Croydon council last month withdrew £30,000 of funding, while the venue was also hit by the loss of money from the Arts Council four years ago.

Officials say the loss of public funding and a downturn in box office revenue has put it in jeopardy. Insolvency firm Frost Business Recovery has now been called in to act as interim administrator.

Chief executive and artistic director Ted Craig said: “We need to raise some funds to try to keep going. There is huge loyalty to the theatre in the area.

"We are a producing theatre, we produce new writing and that is something not every borough has. The administrator will hold it for as long as he can.”

Blanchett made her London stage debut at the venue in Sweet Phoebe in 1995.