Cost of living: Opera house to close one day a week to cut bills

Buxton Opera House will be closing every Monday in January to "lessen the impact of soaring energy costs"

An opera house is to close every Monday in January to try to reduce its "soaring" energy bills, managers have said.

Buxton Opera House staff will work remotely or at offices nearby while all its lighting and heating is turned off.

The venue announced the decision was taken to "lessen the impact of soaring energy costs".

The closures will be on days with no shows but people have been asked not to try to collect tickets in person.

'More environmentally sustainable'

The venue's chief executive, Paul Kerryson, told the BBC: "All our shows are happening but on those Mondays, we will be turning off the lighting and heating to save some money and keep our costs down."

Mr Kerryson said the box office would remain open as normal on other days of the week.

He added customers would still be able to buy tickets over the phone or on the website on Mondays, but warned phone lines might be busier than usual.

An opera house spokesperson said: "We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers, but we hope that you will understand Buxton Opera House's responsibility to become more environmentally sustainable at this time."