The Stage

Curtain comes down on Peterborough’s Broadway

Published Tuesday 24 March 2009 at 15:45 by Lalayn Baluch

Peterborough’s Broadway Theatre, which was ravaged by fire earlier this year, has gone into liquidation, after insurers refused to pay out a claim for £2.5 million.

The venue closed in January after a blaze, suspected to be arson, ripped through the stage and seating area. The blaze is thought to have been started in the basement area by thieves, who broke into the 1,200-seat theatre and stole office equipment including several computers.

The theatre’s owner Rinaldo Fasulo has been told by insurers that they will not pay out any money because the alarm was not correctly activated on the night of the fire.

Now, a letter issued by Adrian Woods of Butcher Woods Corporate Recovery has revealed that 03 Leisure Limited - the company running the Broadway - has ceased trading and will be unable to “fulfil its obligation” to customers.

A meeting of creditors will be held this week on March 26 at the Butcher Woods offices to appoint a liquidator.

Customers have been told that only those who purchased tickets using certain credit cards for sums of more than £100 are likely to get a refund.

The letter said: “The protection of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 does not extend to those who have paid by debit card, cheque, cash, etc. If you did not pay by credit card then you may still submit a claim in the liquidation, although there is currently no likelihood of repayment in part or in full.”

The news has angered theatregoers, many of whom look set to lose hundreds of pounds.

Tracii Edwards of Boston in South Lincolnshire bought tickets worth £400 to see a comedy show at the Broadway Theatre - half of the payment was paid by credit card, but the other half was made by debit card.

Edwards, who has set up a group on social networking site Facebook for creditors of the theatre, said: “I got a letter telling us not to contact the theatre and that they would be in touch with regards to refunds. But I hadn’t heard from them weeks later - I called and no one would ever answer, I sent letters and got no reply to those. I’m upset at the fact that I have lost that amount of money. Where has the money from advanced ticket sales gone?

“Lots of people who bought tickets on their credit cards bought maybe £80 worth of tickets and they won’t be covered. Most people don’t buy hundreds of tickets in one go, so there are a lot of people who won’t be getting money back.”

Representatives of Butcher Woods declined to comment on the case.