This support from the Culture Recovery Fund means that the Orange Tree Theatre will survive through until the spring of 2021, ready to re-emerge as the independent producing powerhouse it has become in recent years.
Our application stressed that we are a small, robust team that in normal circumstances spends over £700,000 each year employing freelancers: actors, costume supervisors, writers, stage managers, designers, technicians, directors, composers and many more individuals all with the kind of specialist skills that you need to make great theatre happen. This award will get us back to that as soon as is safely possible.
Hibernating has been hard but the unique magic of our intimate theatre meant that staging anything under current restrictions has been impossible and would have endangered our financial viability quite quickly. In the new year we will start to re-emerge, exploring new ways to make things happen at the OT, including live-streaming events and performances.
We are very grateful to the Fund and to all our very passionate yet patient supporters. Our six Youth Theatre groups are already back up and running, and this support means that the OT can come back in 2021 stronger than ever, continuing to make progress as Richmond’s proudly independent producing theatre.
Paul Miller Artistic Director
Hanna Streeter Executive Director
