Actors including Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant and Samantha Bond are challenging the Arts Council to explain why it has axed funding to Richmond’s Orange Tree Theatre.
More than 1,000 actors, directors and agents have signed a letter on the issue, due to be presented this week.
It claims that to place the venue “in dire straits” by withdrawing its entire grant just as new artistic director Paul Miller takes charge is “reckless and destructive”.
The theatre, founded in 1971 by Sam Walters, fought off proposed cuts in the last spending round. But it was devastated to learn that its application for continued support failed this time.
Actor Andrew Macbean started the protest letter as chairman of the west and south-west London branch of actors’ union Equity.
He said they all knew the Arts Council had difficult decisions to make in the face of Government cuts. But they wanted to understand “why a theatre we value so dearly is considered unworthy of financial support”.
The letter argues: “It is one of London’s most prolific producers of plays. It has brought remarkable UK, European and world writers to the public’s attention and regularly sells out.
“It has run one of the most successful trainee theatre director programmes of any theatre or training establishment and employs huge numbers of actors of all ages and backgrounds.”
Directors from the scheme, including Sean Holmes who now runs the Lyric Hammersmith, have also signed the letter, along with Richard Eyre, Penelope Wilton, Rory Kinnear, Judi Dench and Simon Russell Beale.
The 172-seat venue — London’s only permanent theatre in the round — was told its grant of £381,073 was being cut to nothing on the day Miller formally took over from Sam Walters, at the beginning of this month.
The letter highlights widespread enthusiasm for the appointment of Miller, whose previous work includes directing John Simm as Hamlet at Sheffield Theatres.
Neil Darlison, the Arts Council’s director of theatre, has said competition for funding was “extremely fierce” but they were in “positive discussions” with the Orange Tree about its future.
“We are committed to working with them to help them,” he said.
