A THEATRE which reopened this summer with a £500k government investment has cancelled community productions in part due to low ticket sales.

Children who were set to take part in Finding Nemo Jr at the Sterts Theatre near Liskeard later this month were told on September 28 that the show would no longer go ahead, and that the next day’s rehearsal would not take place.

The youngsters, who had been rehearsing since March, had originally been due to perform the show in May of this year.

A community production of Wind in the Willows with a cast of all ages has also been pulled.

New creative director and CEO at Sterts Sara Rhodes has been in her role for just a month. In a letter to parents she explained how she had had to make difficult decisions in order to better Sterts’ financial situation. Apologising for the news, she said that cancelling the show bore no reflection on the young actors in the company, but that ticket sales were at just five per cent and this was a cause for concern.

“We have discussed at length other options for the production, such as reducing the run, but nothing makes the show financially viable given where we are at.”

A parent of a child involved in Finding Nemo said: “My daughter has been working hard for months and made new friends. The children have already had the disappointment of the show moving from May to October which meant that some of the children had to pull out. Now this, just a month before the first show.

“It is unacceptable and has really upset my daughter. She has even said that she never wants to do any acting again. This is not the way to treat children as young as eight.”

Chair of the Sterts board of directors Richard Newton Chance said: “We are extremely sorry to have caused distress to the adults, children and young people involved in the shows that have had to be cancelled. Sterts’ new professional team will ensure that future productions are planned, organised and supported at every stage.”

The decision to cancel was taken by the directors and trustees in full consultation with the production teams, he said, and was not purely based on financial grounds: there had been historic organisational problems, and ongoing building work, including the installation of solar panels to make the theatre energy self-sufficient, were having an impact on rehearsals.

“The new Sterts will be fully up and running by next Spring with a revitalised and varied programme. It goes without saying that there will be a strong focus on our youth theatre and the broad range of opportunities we can offer to adults, children and young people in our community.”