Nelson Bakewell - Other - The Royal National Theatre Buys Old Vic Annexe
Date: 13 Mar 1998
The Royal National Theatre has bought the Old Vic Annexe for £1.1 million from Ed Mirvish Enterprises Ltd., owners of the 0ld Vic Theatre. Since 1983 the Mirvish family has allowed the National to lease the annexe rent free for the use of its Studio.
Trevor Nunn, Director, said that he was delighted that the sale had been made possible. Paying tribute to the Mirvish family's generosity to London theatre, he said today "thanks to the support of Ed and David Mirvish and their determination that the Old Vic and the Annexe should, continue to be used by the theatre community, a vital resource for training, experiment and exploration has been preserved for the future, not only for the National Theatre but for theatre practitioners throughout the UK".
David Mirvish said, "Fifteen years ago, when my father and I bought the Old Vic, we were surprised to find that it came with another building attached - the Old Vic Annexe. We were delighted to let the National Theatre house its Studio there, especially as so many works emerged from the Studio that became an integral part of the fabric of contemporary British theatre.
We are both very happy that an arrangement has been reached whereby the Studio can remain in the Annexe into the future and we hope its output will continue to be as fruitful, as it has been in the past".
Of the purchase price, £350,000 comes to the National as a grant from the Royal National Theatre Endowment Fund, and another £350,000 as a loan from the same organisation.
The remaining £400,000 will come from Lottery money already located for the modernisation of the National, which will be diverted for this purpose.
A condition of the National's lottery grant of £31.59 million was that the theatre should itself raise an additional £10.5 million,. Three quarters of this amount has already been raised. The theatre's fundraising efforts will continue in order to meet both the remaining requirement of the modernisation programme and the extra funds required for the Studio.
Sir Christopher Hogg, Chairman of the Royal National Theatre Board said, "The Natonal's Fundraising Campaign is vital to its future as a whole and to the Studio in particular. It is essential that supporters of the very best in the arts support this campaign at the highest possible level. "
The Royal National Theatre Endowment Fund is a charity independent of the National Theatre, which was established by Lord Rayne in 1990 to promote the education of the public in the art of drama and in particular, to support the Royal National Theatre in its aim to further public appreciation of classical and modern drama.
The Studio, led by Sue Higginson, is the centre of research and development for the National. Central to its work is a commitment to new writing. Much of its work eventually reaches a wider audience through radio, films and television, at the National itself and on other stages throughout the UK and overseas. Recent successes developed at the Studio include Patrick Marbers award winning National Theatre play, Closer, opening at the Lyric at the end of March, Biyi Bandele's Things Fell Apart, at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Royal Court, and Mark Ravenhill's Shopping and F***ing, currently in the West End and on tour. The Studio provides opportunities for actors, writers, dirctors, designers, magicians, dancers, technicians and administrators to refine their skills and develop their work.
Nelson Bakewell advised Ed Mirvish Enterprises Ltd. Gerald Eve acted for the National Theatre..
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