Nuffield Southampton Theatres venue to reopen following takeover by Mayflower Theatres Trust

The Nuffield Southampton Theatres' city venue will reopen under new management and with a new name, it has been revealed.

The Studio 144 building, which houses a variety of spaces, will look to welcome visitors from next spring after a takeover was approved this week.

Following arrangements by the Southampton City Council, plans for a new 35-year lease and a grant of £511,250, paid over two years to new company Mayflower Academy Limited, have been announced.

The Mayflower Theatre Trust (of which Mayflower Academy is now a part) will oversee the space, which include a 450-seat theatre. The venue will be renamed MAST (Mayflower Studios).

Former operators of the building, the Nuffield Southampton Theatres Trust, had permanently closed after falling into administration earlier this year. Eighty-six people lost their jobs asa a result of the closure.

Mayflower Theatre Trust already oversees the Mayflower Theatre, a much larger space than the former venues owned by NST. The road to a takeover was a long and winding one, after all initial bids were rejected.