New lease secures future of Royal Court until 2011

Mar 29 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Suzanne Collins in a scene from the play Brick up the Mersey Tunnels at the Royal Court theatre, Liverpool _180

THE future of Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre has been secured until 2011, as its current occupiers have had their lease extended for a further two years.

Kevin Fearon, chief executive of Royal Court Liverpool, said the organisation would establish a charitable trust to keep the building in good shape in the years to come.

Three years ago, it became the home of the Rawhide Comedy Club before branching out into staging longer running plays, including Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels, now in its third successful run there, and Good Golly Miss Molly, as well as one-off appearances from internationally-renowned comics, including Joan Rivers and Al Murray, and acting as a major host of Liverpool Comedy Festival events.

The weekend comedy club moved to the Cotton Club venue, on Bold Street.

Mr Fearon said: “We are very happy to have the good work that we have done here recognised and rewarded in this way.

“Over the past three years, we have brought more than 250,000 people into the building and we have invested just under £1m to make the Royal Court one of the most warm and welcoming venues in the country.

“Building on our recent success is important, and we plan to provide security for the Royal Court as a producing theatre.

“The Royal Court Trust will be a genuine legacy for 2008 and will raise funds to restore the theatre to its former glory.

“We hope to give Liverpool the theatre that it deserves.

“The new lease gives us the scope to plan ahead and we are looking forward to providing great entertainment for the people of Liverpool for many years to come.”

City councillors agreed to the extension of the lease in an executive board meeting yesterday, saying the Royal Court had been a “good tenant” and had recently invested £100,000 into improving heating and air conditioning in the building.

It has also “provided an effective and consistent range of quality entertainment” and “has a long-term vision for the theatre.”

The lease was needed immediately as without it the Royal Court could not begin booking acts into January, 2009, and had been fielding urgent enquiries. The executive summary of the situation said a review of Liver- pool’s performance spaces and their legacy after 2008 and “the implications for current facilities and any need for new venues in future . . . is an important issue for the city and will need careful consideration.”