Theatre Museum Faces Closure??? Meeting Today!

Trustees of the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden are meeting today (23 March 2006) to discuss the possible closure of the building after the Heritage Lottery Fund turned down two grant applications from the owner, the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, for redevelopment. Since opening 20 years ago, the venue in Tavistock Street has kept a valuable record of the arts, including theatrical memorabilia and video archives. The Theatre Museum is currently running an exhibition chronicling the career of the late Sir Michael Redgrave, and many members of his family, including Vanessa, Corin, Lynn and Jemma Redgrave, have joined fellow heavyweight actors such as Judi Dench, Harriet Walter, Diana Rigg and Peter Bowles to petition against the closure of the building. A letter signed by 18 well-known thespians appeared in The Times yesterday calling for adequate funding of the Museum to “make even more of its outstanding collections available to visitors, school parties, researchers and professional performers such as us”. Twenty MPs have also signed a motion urging the government to intervene. An alternative suggestion to total closure is to have more touring exhibitions or move the collection into the V&A in Kensington - a move some fear will mean far fewer visitors. In a letter to the trustees, SOLT president Rosemary Squire said the location of the museum, in the heart of London’s Theatreland, plays a vital role in attracting the public. A statement is due to be released by the trustees shortly, when we’ll report in full in the News section. The final decision on the future of the Theatre Museum is expected to be taken in May.

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