UK’s only LGBT+ theatre seeks new home

The UK's only exclusively LGBT+ theatre is seeking a new home after the sudden announcement of its closure.

Andy Hill, the operations director and producer of London theatre and bar Above the Stag, has said the past five years in its Vauxhall premises had been "extremely happy and successful but financially very challenging".

“Regretfully, it has not been possible to come up with a feasible business plan for the next five years in our existing venue. Our landlord, The Arch Company, has been very understanding and supportive," he said.

Hill cited Network Rail’s need to carry out a brick safety inspection and repairs to the arches as an additional factor in the closure.

“As a Charity and the UK’s only exclusively LGBT+ theatre, we are delighted to have staged award winning productions, sponsored new talent of every kind, provided a rare cross-generational queer space for our LGBT+ community and given you all great nights out,” he said.

All the theatre’s furniture and equipment will be kept in storage, he said, adding that “Above the Stag is still very much alive and kicking”.

With commitments from benefactors totalling £2m over the next five years, the theatre is now seeking a new venue and preparing a five-year business plan.

The theatre is one of several LGBT-friendly spaces to close temporarily or permanently in the wake of pandemic restrictions.

Night Czar Amy Lamé told PinkNews that the Mayor of London’s office has been “working hard to protect venues, which suffered the impact of the pandemic restrictions, as well as ongoing issues of insecure leases, staff shortages and the spiralling cost of doing business”.

The Mayor of London’s Culture at Risk Business Support Fund allocated £225,000 to support LGBT venues during pandemic restrictions.