THEATRE Royal Bath has been awarded £476,127 as part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The cash boost has enabled the theatre to announce its 2021 programme and to continue facing the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Theatre Royal Bath Director, Danny Moar, said the funds would ensure a more sustainable future.

He said: “We are delighted to receive this news, especially as final preparations are being made for our 2021 season which will soon reopen the Theatre Royal Bath after the current national lockdown.

"We reopened last autumn when restrictions allowed and received wonderful support from our audiences. This funding will now help us to reopen our doors in 2021.

"We know theatregoers are keen to return and we can’t wait to welcome them back to the Theatre Royal Bath in May and beyond.”

The theatre is one of more than 2,700 UK arts organisations receiving urgently-needed support in Round 2 of the £1.57 billion CRF programme administered by Arts Council England to help the culture sector pull through the pandemic and prepare to reopen again.

Theatre Royal Bath first closed its doors to the public in March 2020 when theatres shut nationwide.

Productions ceased touring, plans for Bath’s Summer Season and its ongoing series of home-grown productions were halted, and in the West End the Theatre Royal’s record-breaking production of Blithe Spirit was forced to close just one week into its scheduled 12-week run last spring.

Over the past year, Arts Council England funding has ensured that Bath’s Theatre Royal could re-open for a limited time during the 2020 autumn and winter season.

Last October and December, when government restrictions allowed, the Theatre Royal staged 75 live performances for socially distanced audiences across its three venues - the Main House, Ustinov Studio and The Egg.

Support from Innovate UK also ensured that The Egg could continue with its inspiring provision for young people via the newly-established Egg Assembly online facility which provides outreach, training and educational activities.

The newly-announced funding from the Culture Recovery Fund will now ensure that plans can continue for the Theatre Royal Bath’s 2021 Season, announced last week.