A CASH crisis hanging over Worcester's Swan Theatre looks likely to bring down the final curtain on the 40-year-old auditorium.

A budget cut of £83,000, proposed by the city council, may have sounded the death knell for the theatre.

If closure goes ahead, it would mean 30 redundancies and the end of an era for the theatre, which counts actors Ian Lavender and Jean Boht among its supporters.

The shortfall of £83,000 will leave the theatre with a city council grant of around £54,000. That would have a negative knock-on effect on other donations.

"This has come as an absolute bombshell and I think there will be a lot of shock and grief among our supporters," said artistic director Jenny Stephens, who is now launching a fighting fund.

Soft target

"The theatre provides entertainment and culture which is needed for a vibrant city but I fear we're being used as a soft target.

"We're now calling on all our supporters to lobby the city council. If we manage to get this decision reversed by the end of November we may be in with a chance of saving it for another year."

Gerald Harris, chairman of the board, said they were now reviewing all options for the theatre, which plays host to national touring groups as well as in-house productions.

"But closure next year is inevitable if the cuts go ahead," he said.

The theatre, a registered charity, was expecting to receive £138,000 from the city council.

But if this is not forthcoming - which council chiefs have indicated will be the case - other grants of £28,000 from Worcestershire County Council and £179,000 from West Midlands Arts are likely to be withdrawn.

"The city council grant is a lever to the others and without them we cannot survive," said Ms Stephens.

"The closure will not only mean 30 full and part-time job losses but it will leave a number of groups without a base.

"Those affected will include the Swan Theatre Company, Worcester City Artists, the disabled artists group, three youth theatres, the Swan Playwrights group and a drama group for the under fives.

"It's tragic that it should happen at this time as sales for the Christmas show, The Adventures of Pinocchio, are already 15 per cent up on last year.

"West Midlands Arts had already pledged to give us an extra £50,000 to make up an identified shortfall.

"But we will lose this money if the city council does not back us and I have been given the strong indication they won't change their minds.

"We now have to start putting the closure plans into place as we can't make bookings for the next season if we are not going to be here," she said.

A meeting of the Friends of the Swan Theatre will be held on Monday, October 14. For more information about the fighting fund contact the box office on 01905 27322.