Show will go on for Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre

The 125-year-old venue in Lichfield Street closed its doors on March 17 as lockdown was coming into full force.

However, Adrian Jackson, the Grand’s CEO and Artistic Director, has said that while many national theatre bosses have said they may not survive the pandemic, the show must go on in Wolverhampton.

"The Grand Theatre has been open throughout the reign of six monarchs and 28 prime ministers. It has also survived two world wars and with everyone’s fantastic support, the team and I will do everything we can to ensure it survives Covid-19.

"Whilst this still continues to be a worrying time, I am confident that The Grand will recover. Thanks to careful financial management the theatre has healthy reserves which will be used to safeguard the future."

The Government this week announced that theatres are technically allowed to reopen from July 4 but with a slight hitch – live performances are not yet being permitted.

As a result, the Grand will remain officially closed until the end of August whilst awaiting further government advice.

"Last week we opened our doors for the NHS and used the auditorium for training purposes. It was a wonderful week, and proved that the Grand with people in it is a wonderful thing,” said Mr Jackson.

"Whilst we very much regretted the decision to close, the welfare of our loyal patrons and our 160 employees is of the utmost importance to our organisation.

"I feel it is very important to emphasise that while this is an unprecedented time, it is not all doom and gloom. Our programme for 2021 is very strong with an eclectic mix of shows. There is something for everyone.

"Thousands of patrons have transferred their tickets into rescheduled shows and the messages of support have shown that they can’t wait to come back.

"Of course some patrons need to shield and we have accommodated their requests and we will see them when they are happy to come back.

"The theatre has been recognised by the Arts Council for the fantastic education and community work we do. The programme of work that the funding will help us to deliver has already started and online content will be streamed over the summer,” he added.

The Grand’s enforced closure meant some shows have had to be cancelled altogether, although many have been rescheduled for later in the year and for 2021.

As a registered charity, the venue relies totally on the support of its customers, welcoming some 300,000 patrons through its doors every year.