Sutton Council has been seeking expressions of interest for the Charles Cryer Studio Theatre and Secombe Theatre following the closure of the Sutton Theatres Trust.

Five expressions of interest were received for the Charles Cryer Theatre, and one expression of interest was received for both theatres. The bid for both theatres was not considered viable and sustainable in the long term.

The next phase of the process will now begin. From those bids a for the Charles Cryer, a number have been selected and are being invited to work up proposals in greater detail ready for a decision later this year. The future of the Secombe Theatre is to be reviewed by considering a range of alternative uses. A decision will be taken by the Strategy & Resources Committee later in the year.

A Sutton Council spokesman said:

“We were pleased with the level of interest shown in the Charles Cryer Theatre and want to further explore the option of it being used as a cultural and community facility. This will depend on costs and long-term viability as it must be capable of operating without financial support from the Council. Given our recent experience with the Sutton Theatres Trust we want to go through this exercise carefully. The Secombe Theatre did not generate a sustainable, viable bid from potential operators and we will now be considering other uses for the site.”The council hopes to bring forward decisions on the future of the theatres in the next few months.”