Theatre-goers have been told the final curtain has come down on the Whitehall Theatre in Dundee.
The board of the charitable company running the theatre has announced the closure, stating it is insolvent, has gone into liquidation and has closed with immediate effect.
Helen Wylie, chairman of Whitehall Theatre (Dundee) Ltd, the charitable company charged with operating the theatre the building is owned by the Whitehall Theatre Trust said it was a “sad day for everyone.”
“Our staff have lost their jobs and we are very upset for them,” Ms Wylie said. “We would like to reassure the public that all ticket money for pre-booked shows is held in a special trust bank account and will not be lost.”
The closure comes despite a strong autumn programme for the theatre, with planned shows featuring comedians Jim Davidson and Ed Byrne, the Lady Boys of Bangkok and Scottish duo Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham.
However a decline in the number of quality touring shows, plus a matching reduction in the popularity of its baseline amateur productions most notably Sounds Spectacular and The Gang Show at a time when costs have escalated, have caused the death knell for the company, she added. The cancellation of shows during the harsh winter also contributed to the company’s problems.
Theatre bosses had been involved in behind-the-scenes meetings as they tried to secure the future of the venue, but those attempts have now failed.
Mrs Wylie said: “The company has run the theatre for 28 years without any public subsidy and a few years ago spearheaded a successful fund-raising campaign to allow them to renovate the auditorium.
“The various amateur companies that own the building through the trust contributed over the years to the operation and maintenance of Dundee’s largest theatre, which brought pleasure to thousands every year.
“In recent times however, the ever-increasing costs of utilities, insurance and maintenance of the old building have made trading more difficult. Neither have most of the amateur companies been able to sell the amount of seats they used to.
“Over the past 12 months, a number of factors have combined the poor economic situation generally, the cancellation of shows last winter and the decline in the number of quality touring shows.”
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“The well-known annual fund-raising show Sounds Spectacular, on which the theatre relied, had to be cancelled in June and this has put enormous strain on the finances. Work was put into a reconstruction plan in the spring, but we were unable to move forward with this due to lack of funding.
“A final meeting between the board and the trustees was held, at which the board directors were told that the trust had decided they could not come to the aid of the company, leaving no alternative but liquidation.”
Ms Wylie thanked everyone for their efforts to keep the company going over 28 years, the volunteers and directors past and present, the theatre club and the help given by the trustees over that period.
“We have a record we can all be proud of and we just hope a way can be found to bring the building alive again,” she said.
It is understood the trust is considering how the theatre can be relaunched and discussions with council representatives have taken place.
A city council spokesman said: “The council discusses issues with a range of organisations in the city on a regular basis.”
The Whitehall has been welcoming people through its doors since 1928 when it first opened as the Alhambra cinema. The building shut its doors in 1968 but was reopened the following year as the Whitehall Theatre.
Since that time, the Whitehall has hosted some of the most famous and sometimes the most controversial names in British showbiz.
Among the headline acts to take to the stage have been comedians Frank Carson, Jim Davidson and Fred MacAulay as well as singers Sidney Devine and Tony Christie who celebrated his song Is This The Way To Amarillo hitting No 1 while performing at the theatre.
Kids’ favourites the Singing Kettle have been a regular fixture at the Whitehall over the years and the theatre also plays hosts to the annual Scout Gang Show.
Dundee Schools Music Theatre and various local amateur dramatic societies including Dundee Operatic, Downfield Musical Society and Thomson Leng Music Theatre have also used the Whitehall, along with various community dance groups.
Dundee Operatic was due to perform Chess at the Whitehall this year but the show was cancelled on two occasions.
The Whitehall has a capacity of more than 700 and it is understood some local dramatic societies have been looking at smaller venues elsewhere such as the newly-revamped Gardyne Theatre.