Actors and broadcasters have launched a campaign to save a famed student-run theatre at the University of Nottingham, after the institution said it would not reopen as a result of financial pressures.
The Nottingham New Theatre, which is entirely student-run and opened in 1969, closed in 2023 because of mould issues. The university estimates that repairs would cost £2 million and has ruled out restoring the site.
A star-studded group has launched a campaign, led by BBC broadcaster and podcast host Matthew Bannister, to save the theatre.
Among those supporting the drive are Ruth Wilson, known for her roles in Jane Eyre and Luther, Theo James, who starred in The Gentlemen and White Lotus, and Slow Horses actor Rosalind Eleazar, as well as broadcaster Emma Barnett.
Known as the only entirely student-run theatre in England, the site hosted more than 30 plays a year, all directed, produced and organised by students across a range of disciplines. Many of the productions went on to the Edinburgh Fringe festival, while the theatre has helped launch several acting careers.
