Lyric life

Today the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is greatly saddened to announce that it has entered into a period of consultation with staff, placing 22% of its current workforce at risk of redundancy.

Along with many theatres across the UK the Lyric’s closure of over six months due to the global pandemic has had a monumental impact. The loss of income during this period from ticket sales, classes, bar sales, restaurant, hires and other activities, equates to 75% of the theatre’s income and at present there is no certainty as to when activity could resume to previous levels. As a direct result of this financial impact, the theatre has to reduce staffing costs to ensure the survival and future of the theatre.

Artistic Director, Rachel O’Riordan and Executive Director, Sian Alexander said:

“It is with heavy hearts that we enter this period of consultation with our staff. What makes the Lyric such a special theatre are the people who make the work we do happen. Although we are grateful for the opportunity to apply for a government Culture Recovery Fund grant, that alone will not guarantee our survival, even if we are successful. As we don’t know when we will be able to return to the same levels of activity, we are forced to reduce our staffing levels. We have an incredible team and are so grateful for their resilience during this challenging time; we are committed to supporting them all through this sad and difficult process.

We must ensure the future of the Lyric, which has survived so much in its 125-year history. We will remain a theatre that will create world-class theatre from the heart of Hammersmith, committed to providing opportunities and pathways into our industry for young people across West London. We are grateful to our funders and supporters for their continued help during this challenging time. We will reopen and welcome our community back.”