The biggest theatre in Kent has confirmed 30 members of staff are at risk of redundancy due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Consultations with those employees at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury have begun and could end after a difficult few months.

The Marlowe’s Chief Executive Deborah Shaw said: “We’re working hard to ensure that The Marlowe will reopen again as soon as it is safe to do so, but as an independent charity without regular funding from Arts Council England, the impact of the pandemic has been immense.

“Up until this moment, we’ve worked hard to protect the livelihoods of all the people that we employ, including a commitment to pay our casual staff members through to the end of the job retention scheme.

"Our brilliant team is what makes The Marlowe such a hugely successful organisation, which is why it’s particularly painful to have to make this decision.”

Tickets and related sales make up 99% of the theatre's income which disappeared when it closed on March 17 and had to cancel 288 performances.

Chair of The Marlowe Trust, Jonathan Church CBE said, “This pandemic has had a devastating impact on our cultural industries, with theatres the length and breadth of the country being forced to make very similar decisions as ourselves.

"We’re encouraged by the government’s recently announced commitment to support our industry, but even in the event of securing this additional support we will be operating in a very different world for the foreseeable future, making these heart-breaking changes necessary.”

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