THE president of Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society claims the "extravagances" of the professionals brought in to run the theatre are to blame for the current financial crisis.

Christine Wargent, who worked at the theatre at one time, said the amateurs for whom the theatre was built for had been squeezed out by the professionals through rising hire costs.

"This will have a great effect, not just because we will lose a venue, but also for the simple reason that it was built by amateurs for amateurs.

"We allowed the professionals to move in because we knew that we had to go a step further to get funding and expand.

"But, over the years, the amateurs have been eased out and it is a sad thing professionals have moved in and, through their own extravagances, are now having to close the doors," she said.

Mrs Wargent said that bringing an artistic director in was like letting kids loose in a toy shop.

"They don't manage their affairs as well as amateurs do because amateurs can't afford to spend too much.

"And you can't experiment too much in a provincial city because you need to get bums on seats to make it pay."

She said that if the Swan does close it would be a tremendous loss to the amateur groups, like WODS, who use it. But she added that the show would go on.

"We have been going since 1892 and there is no way we want some theatre in Worcester that can't manage its affairs to put us out of business."

Brian Burton, chairman of the Swan Theatre Company, was remaining optimistic about the theatre's survival.

"Closing it would be the very, very last resort," he said. "We will do everything we can to and keep the theatre open."

"We are having a committee meeting this week so I will see what the reaction is from the other members but the situation for amateur groups is very serious because, apart from Malvern, there isn't anywhere else."