FOR 30 years the Theatre Royal in Winchester lurched from one financial crisis to a period of potential financial crisis.

Back in the early 1990s there were serious political attempts to cut its crucial funding. Wiser heads realised that a county town needed a decent theatre and politicians of all parties accepted that the venue needed subsidising. A big lottery grant saw it revamped at the turn of the Millennium and the theatre carried on its uncertain course boosted every year by the sell-out success of its Christmas pantomimes.

The exact state of its finances has never been freely discussed but its chief executive Deryk Newland lifted the lid at the Winchester Town Forum. For six of the last seven years it has run a loss, with the deficit reaching £90,000.

But Mr Newland grabbed the bull by the horns and says the theatre is on course to have wiped that out this year. This is welcome, if surprising, news. Theatres are not supposed to be financially independent.

The town forum heard that the turnaround is due to tighter financial controls and putting on more shows, ‘sweating the assets.’

Mr Newland has revealed a big investment to revamp the bar and the cafe to make the theatre more welcoming during the day. That has been tried before but perhaps now with ‘cafe culture’ so prevalent, stretching to the top of Jewry Street, the theatre can reap the benefit.