Theatre to cut jobs to ensure its 'sustainability'

A theatre said it was having to make redundancies to ensure its "long-term sustainability".

Northampton's Royal & Derngate said changes would be made for the 2026-27 financial year and cited the "continued impact" of its seven-week closure for safety work after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found in its foyers.

The theatre did not respond to a request for comment on the number of jobs to be lost, but the Northampton Chronicle & Echo reported it related to 19 roles in its sales and box office teams.

In a statement, the theatre said: "Like many cultural organisations, we are operating in a challenging funding environment."

It added that "rising production and building costs driven by inflation, has required us to review our cost base carefully."

"These changes are part of a measured plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organisation and to protect our artistic programme while keeping ticket prices accessible for our audiences.

"We recognise that this is a difficult time for those affected and are committed to supporting staff through the process."

The venue consists of two theatres - the Derngate auditorium, with a capacity of 1,500, and the Royal, which can hold 450.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.