Taunton Brewhouse Theatre to close at end of month despite rescue talks
Taunton's Brewhouse Theatre will shut at the end of the month with more than 20 staff made redundant, though councils and community groups are in early talks about reopening it.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Taunton's Brewhouse Theatre will close at the end of this month after almost 50 years, with more than 20 staff set to lose their jobs.
The venue opened in 1977 and has been a home for local performing groups. Taunton Theatre Association, which runs the theatre, has said it cannot survive in its current form. Financial pressures are the main reason for the closure.
The closure has left pantomime company the Wayfarers rehearsing Aladdin without knowing where it will be performed. The group was formed in 1962, staged its first full-length pantomime in 1969, and was one of the first companies to perform at the Brewhouse when it opened in 1977. It has been there ever since. The group has raised more than £10,000 to save the theatre.
A group involving eight local societies has now formed and is considering whether it can be part of a solution. One supporter said: "I was absolutely gutted. The arts is something that actually gives us a sense of wellbeing and puts back into us something that we're lacking because of all of the nasty things that are happening in the world."
Conversations are said to be taking place between local councils and groups about how the theatre could be reopened. The situation was described as really early days, with the future still to be worked out, including the position of Taunton Theatre Association, which leases the building with Somerset Council. Taunton Town Council had committed £100,000 a year to Taunton Theatre Association to support it.
No reopening has been confirmed. There is a lot of affection for the Brewhouse, and many conversations are going on behind closed doors about when and if it will reopen. For now, the lights will stay off and the doors will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Taunton Theatre Association said it could not survive in its current form and more than 20 staff will be made redundant. | |
| Taunton Town Council had committed 100,000 pounds a year to Taunton Theatre Association to support it. | |
| The Brewhouse Theatre in Somerset will close at the end of the month, almost 50 years after it opened. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West focused on the human and community impact of the closure, using pantomime rehearsals and local society fundraising as its main colour. It set out the financial failure and redundancies while giving space to early hopes that councils and community groups could reopen the venue. The tone was sympathetic, local and cautious about the prospects.
- “The Brewhouse Theatre is to shut at the end of this month, almost 50 years after it opened in Somerset.”
- “I was absolutely gutted. The arts is something that actually gives us a sense of wellbeing and puts back into us something that we're lacking because of all of the nasty things that are happening in the world.”
- “There's a lot of love for the Brewhouse and from what we understand there are lots of conversations going on behind closed doors about when and if it's going to reopen but for now the lights will stay off and the doors will remain closed for the foreseeable future.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.