SHOWS RETURN TO THE CRESSET!

Great news – the curtain’s going up again at the Cresset in Bretton and we can once again expect tom see some great shows back in the city.

The cash-strapped theatre has re-negotiated the contracts bringing stars to Peterborough.

In April it was announced the theatre, which has entertained the public of Peterborough for 32 years, was set to close at the end of June after losing £150,000 last year.

Since then staff have been working hard behind the scenes with promoters and agents to see if they can keep the theatre going.

Although some shows were cancelled, the new deals mean stars such as Jimmy Carr, Gene Watson, and Less than Jake are planned to go ahead at the Bretton venue this autumn.

Jonathan Martin, chief executive of YMCA Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which runs the complex under the direction of the Cresset Board of Trustees, said – “This is fantastic news. We’re delighted to be able to keep the theatre going and continue to bring these big names to Peterborough.

“We were devastated when we realised we had no option but to close the theatre. The reaction was phenomenal. The public support was overwhelming – more than 18,000 people signed a petition to keep us open and we also had great support from the acts themselves.  This went a huge way towards helping us renegotiate the deals so we could keep the theatre going.

“However, The Cresset has still had to make cost efficiencies and several members of staff have taken voluntary redundancy. The box office will be scaled down and more people encouraged to purchase tickets online through www.cresset.co.uk.”

Cresset Board of Trustees chairman Ian Dow said – “It’s been a difficult time, especially for the staff but our main priority has been trying to preserve something for the community of Peterborough. I’m pleased to be able to announce the continuation of the theatre and we hope those public who supported us through their lobbying and petitions will continue to support us by coming to see the shows.”

Shows planned for the autumn include Jimmy Carr, Charlie Landsborough, Sally Morgan, Stewart Francis and Peter Alliss.

There was never any threat to the rest of The Cresset complex, including the Fayre Spot pub, North Walk café, the YMCA flats, an old people’s day care centre, nursery and other shops as well as The Cresset’s conference facilities, wedding receptions, and dance and drama classes.

To book shows go online at www.cresset.co.uk or call the box office on 01733 265705 or 01733 842500.