CHESTER'S Storyhouse is in a "fight for survival" after it has had to postpone its entire Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre season until next year.

The £750,000 programme of events, which brings in one fifth of Storyhouse's entire annual ticket income, has been shelved for 2020 due to the Government's lack of guidance on what can and cannot reopen under coronavirus regulations.

While many retailers and zoos can reopen from next Monday, the Government has given no answer on whether open air theatres, or indeed any open air events could be open, with social distancing measures, at any point this year.

It has also given no indication when theatres could reopen.

The Government's dithering has been a "huge financial blow" for the Storyhouse charity, which says it has run out of time waiting for news and has had to postpone its series of performances - Pride & Prejudice, Taming of the Shrew and The Jungle Book - until the same dates in summer 2021.

The postponement leaves the future of Storyhouse in doubt as it struggles with lack of guidance on when, and how it is going to be able to stage any shows.

Chief executive Andrew Bentley gave a stark warning over the future of Storyhouse, if the Government continues to delay on giving guidance.

He said: “The absence of information has now become critical for open-air and other theatre producers.

"We had plans A, B, C and D to safely open for at least part of the summer. No business however can plan an opening in this vacuum. No business can survive when starved of any vision of the future.

“This now leaves Storyhouse, and Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in a precarious position and is a huge financial blow to us.

"Over two thirds of the country’s theatres currently expect to be out of business by Christmas and we will join them at some point unless something changes soon. We are in a straightforward fight for survival.

“We are urging the Government to give guidance now about opening theatres, we are running out of time.

"No-one expects business as usual but not all buildings are the same and theatres should be allowed to open at the same time as cinemas, cinemas are of course also theatres.

"As producers however we can’t rehearse or mount any show until we get some information on how to do that safely and right now there is none.

"If that doesn’t change soon it will be too late to put on a Christmas show and the number of theatres going under will rapidly increase.”

Storyhouse is asking Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre ticket holders, who are some of the company’s most loyal customers, to consider turning their tickets for this year into a donation if they are able to.

Storyhouse is one of the country’s busiest cultural centres, with over one million customer visits every year.

It is asking friends and supporters to help by joining a new membership scheme as well as donating to keep the organisation alive.

Mr Bentley added: “We’ve launched the Storyhouse Card 10 days ago and are close to 1,000 members already.

"It’s the country’s only monthly streaming, no commitment theatre membership scheme and at only £4 a month is brilliant value as well as great way to help us survive.

"If all our customers simply become members, we would be secure, strong and independent forever. Let’s make that happen."