Seven Dials Playhouse closure 'a catastrophic loss to actors'

The closure of a theatre in the heart of London's West End where generations of actors trained is a "catastrophic loss to the acting industry and the arts", campaigners say. The Actors Centre moved to the Covent Garden site in 1994 following a fundraising effort by Sir Anthony Hopkins. It was first given to the actors on a 999-year lease with a peppercorn rent, but in 2021 it became the Seven Dials Playhouse (SDP), pivoting away from a training house to become a receiving theatre and the group was forced to leave. At its peak it hosted 1,700 workshops each year, supported by more than 5,000 members, including founding member Dame Sheila Hancock. The theatre building was sold for £3.6m in September 2024 to "generate new revenue streams and build a sustainable future, following the collapse of the old membership and training model" but was liquidated within 18 months. A statement said despite "extensive efforts to stabilise the organisation... it has become clear that Seven Dials Playhouse can no longer continue operating on a viable basis". Thirteen members of staff, some part-time, will lose their jobs. SDP owes some contractors thousands of pounds. Kate Maravan, director of The Ne