Ticket-holders left out of pocket following the closure of a Dundee theatre last year are to receive partial refunds.
The Whitehall Theatre Trust has confirmed those with tickets for cancelled shows will receive 75% of their money back following an agreement with the liquidator for the previous operating company.
The closure of the Whitehall Theatre last summer prompted the cancellation of a number of productions, with those who had purchased tickets concerned as to whether they would see their money again.
The trust, which has spearheaded a relaunch of the venue, has secured funds which are set to be distributed to those who missed out on their entertainment. It claims the 75% deal is better than might have been expected.
A statement said: ”The trust have successfully secured an agreement with the liquidator of Whitehall Theatre Dundee Ltd. that will enable the funds to be transferred to the trust, allowing us to refund a proportion of the monies paid.
”Had the trust failed to secure this agreement the costs from the liquidator to administer these debts would have substantially reduced the sum available,” said a statement from the trust.
”The trust’s current estimate of the debts compared to the funds available would indicate a refund of approximately 75% of the published ticket price. Any shortfall in the money due to any individual or company could be submitted to the liquidator as an unsecured claim but the trust has been advised that there is no prospect of a dividend being paid to any class of creditor in the liquidation.”
Whitehall Theatre (Dundee) Ltd went into liquidation in August, leaving the building’s owner, the Whitehall Theatre Trust, seeking assistance from elsewhere.
In November, after members of its policy and resources committee heard the theatre had a financially viable future, Dundee City Council agreed a one-year pilot to keep the site open with Leisure and Culture Dundee taking on responsibility for ticketing and box office services.
Trust treasurer Alex Scott expects as many as 90 people to seek refunds.
”These things take time to resolve and it’s only in the last ten days that we’ve been able to see movement from the liquidator,” he told The Courier. ”This culminated in contact on Monday when I got an email saying that they will transfer money to us.
”Given the state of records I just want to make sure that we have got all the claimants and are giving everybody the chance to come forward. The money that we get is the money that we will disperse and any costs that we have we will swallow as a trust for the goodwill of the public.”
The trust hopes to start the repayment process shortly and is asking claimants to make themselves known.
They are asked to provide evidence of their ticket purchase and to contact treasurer Alex Scott directly.
The address is: Whitehall Theatre Trust, 12 Bellfield Street, Dundee, DD1 5JA.