Peterborough Key Theatre: Company secures venue's future

Peterborough City Council has closed the loss-making Key Theatre, which opened in the early 1970s

The future of a city theatre has been secured after the local council agreed terms with a new operator.

Selladoor Worldwide, which already runs the New Theatre in Peterborough, will take over management of the city's Key Theatre from 8 February.

Peterborough City Council announced in December that it was no longer able to fund the Key due to "unprecedented losses", and it was due to close.

The theatre had been forecast to lose about £300,000 in 2021-22.

The new agreement with Selladoor will follow the end of a staff consultation, with the final deal subject to negotiations, the Conservative-led council said.

Both the Key Youth Theatre and the Chalkboard restaurant would also remain on site for at least the next 12 months.

The Key, on the city's Embankment Road, is currently run by City Culture Peterborough, a company that manages cultural and entertainment venues for the council.

The theatre is situated on Embankment Road in Peterborough

An online petition to keep the 50-year-old Key Theatre open has been signed by more than 10,000 people.

Steve Allen, council cabinet member for housing, culture and communities, said plans for the theatre "will have a positive impact on the city's cultural offering".

"There was understandably a lot of frustration when we announced we could no longer fund the theatre going forward, but unfortunately that is the reality of our current financial situation," he said.

"This agreement demonstrates how we can maintain services without spending taxpayers' money."

All current staff - who were being consulted on the changes - would transfer over to the operator, he said.

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Selladoor took over the New Theatre in 2019 and its chief executive, David Hutchinson, said: "To lose the Key Theatre, a building with such rich and important history and participants - would be an absolute disaster for every cultural organisation in the city.

"Our commitment is to merge two theatres, under one efficient yet ambitious organisation, with two very different personalities.

"We want to bring more artists to the city of Peterborough - but equally champion more local talent."