Important Message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees
I am writing this to update you all on a difficult board decision, taken a few days ago, to postpone our upcoming production of ‘Tommy’.
The building development project has been moving at pace, and the change is going to be something special. The development schedule is monitored very closely, as those of you who read the development bulletin will know. However, in recent weeks we have hit some unforeseen delays, all of which were absorbed into the plan. We have an old building and expect to discover some problems due to the scope of the works we are trying to achieve, and we built in time for potential delays.
The schedule was still on target, albeit a challenging one, until our structural engineer advised that our wardrobe floor and area above the bar required reinforcement to make safe and futureproof. We, of course, have instructed these works but the time impact on the end date means that works would not be finished in time for the opening of Tommy.
This is obviously devastating to everyone involved in the project and production. We have considered every option we could think of to work around and discussed at length the possibilities open to us. We met with the creative team behind ‘Tommy’ and discussed the situation and the possibilities of continuing, opening on time and adapting around the building works to ensure audiences could access the auditorium. The consensus was that a work around to open in an unfinished building would be detrimental to the production, put too much pressure on everyone involved, many of whom are also involved in the development works, and ultimately have too large an impact on what promises to be an amazing show.
Over the past few years, we have faced several large challenges around getting the shows on and we have always worked very hard to overcome them. I am always very proud of our resilience and record in overcoming seemingly unsurmountable odds. Our Artistic Director has always driven this attitude and continues to do so, but as a board we felt that we have no choice in this instance but to postpone. I wanted to share this with you, and the reasons behind the decision, before you heard it elsewhere.
The new dates for ‘Tommy’ have been confirmed as 31st January to 7th February 2026. The show will go on, the development will be completed, a few weeks late admittedly.
It has been quite a few days! I would like to thank the development team and the board for facing into a very difficult decision at the right time and also the creatives behind ‘Tommy’ for understanding, showing such desire to continue, and wanting to give the show the best possible start.
We will of course update you on any further developments, but rest assured we are working very hard to ensure the project is completed to the right standard and is fit for the future. Hopefully, we will not find any more surprises!
For further information on the project, look out for our development update bulletins or why not visit our just giving page which explains exactly what we are doing and the problems we have encountered, details on the website. You may feel the desire to contribute and become a part of our history!
Please do contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Jon Elves, Chair, Criterion Theatre