The Orange Tree in Richmond says it will return stronger than ever after receiving much-needed funding.

The independent theatre was granted £770,538 from the government's Cultural Recovery Fund.

Its artistic director Paul Miller and executive director Hanna Streeter spoke about their plans for 2021 in a joint statement.

"This support from the Cultural Recovery Fund means that the Orange Tree Theatre will survive through until the spring of 2021, ready to re-emerge as the independent producing powerhouse it has become in recent years," they said.

"Our application stressed that we are a small, robust team that in normal circumstances spends over £700,000 each year employing freelancers: actors, costume supervisors, writers, stage managers, designers, technicians, directors, composers and many more individuals all with the kind of specialist skills that you need to make great theatre happen. This award will get us back to that as soon as is safely possible.

"Hibernating has been hard but the unique magic of our intimate theatre meant that staging anything under current restrictions has been impossible and would have endangered our financial viability quite quickly.

"In the New Year we will start to re-emerge, exploring ways to make things happen at the OT, including live-streaming events and performances.

Read more: UP CLOSE WITH: 'Very optimistic' Orange Tree director on theatre's future

"We are very grateful to the fund and to all our very passionate yet patient supporters.

"Our six youth theatre groups are already back up and running, and this support means that the OT can come back in 2021 stronger than ever, continuing to make progress as Richmond's proudly independent producing theatre."

Cultural Recovery Fund

Other grants include £50,000 to Richmond visual arts group 104 projects CIC.

Nearby Banes Community Arts Centre was given £57,908. The Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington was awarded £125,239 and Kingston groups Canbury Press received £56,000 and BalletBoyz got £194,100.

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