Blackpool Grand warns it may close down without government support
© Michael D Beckwith / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
Blackpool Grand has warned that its future is very much in doubt as uncertainty over the pandemic reigns.
CEO Ruth Eastwood, speaking to the BBC, warned that unless a £500,000 grant is given to the venue by the government (as part of its £1.57bn support package) then it may have to close down, making 57 staff members redundant.
Most of the staff at the theatre have been furloughed, though the scheme will end on 31 October 2020, with hopes of sector-specific extensions quashed by the Chancellor.
Eastwood added that socially distanced performances would not be viable for the 125-year old venue, built in 1894, with only 20 per cent of seats fillable.
Actress Jodie Prenger has been fighting the fight for the theatre, saying that she saw her first stage show there as a little girl.
