Brewhouse Theatre is closing - what happens next?

A town's main theatre will close at the end of October after operators were unable to raise enough money to keep it running.

Taunton Brewhouse's closure will leave 23 staff redundant and raises questions about ticket refunds, the future of theatre groups and where this year's pantomime could be staged.

Local councils say discussions are continuing about the building's future, but there is no timetable for reopening the venue.

Here's what we know about why the theatre is closing, what happens to shows and tickets, and whether the Brewhouse could return.

Taunton Theatre Association (TTA), which has run the venue since 2013, said it needed to raise about £150,000 to bridge a funding gap.

Association chair Val Hammond said the team "did hope it would be possible to find a way for the Brewhouse to survive in its current operation - but that hasn't proved possible".

The theatre had previously received £132,000 a year from Somerset Council, but that funding ended in 2025.

The association has also pointed to rising insurance costs, building maintenance bills and wider cost-of-living pressures.

This remains unclear.

TTA has advised ticket holders to keep hold of their tickets while the refunds process is put in place.

Hammond said the association was trying to upload all necessary guidance to its website and advised people to retain their proof of purchase as well as their tickets.

"The show must and will go on."

That is the message from The Wayfarers Pantomime Society, which has performed at the Brewhouse every year since the theatre opened.

The amateur group is currently rehearsing at The Wyvern in Taunton while searching for a venue for its production of Aladdin in 2027.

Chair Martin Lock said he was close to securing an alternative venue in Taunton so the annual pantomime tradition can continue.

Twenty-three members of staff will lose their jobs and volunteers will also be affected.

The closure is also expected to have an impact on nearby businesses that benefit from theatre audiences, as well as theatre groups, musicians, comedians and stage crews who now need to find alternative places to perform.

That remains uncertain.

There are several independent schools in the town with theatre-style facilities that could potentially host productions, but no long-term alternative has been announced.

Possibly, but there is currently no timescale.

Somerset Council owns the building, while Taunton Town Council provides £100,000 a year towards running the theatre. The venue also receives Arts Council funding.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts sits on both councils and says they're doing all they can and conversations are ongoing about how they can reopen the theatre but it's a complex legal process.

She said there were "no dates at the moment" and that work was needed to establish what the future model for the theatre could be and who might run it.

"What is a county town without a theatre?"

Those are the words of Hilary Marshall, chair of Taunton Association of the Performing Arts.

She said the arts provide a sense of wellbeing and that the Brewhouse is often children's first experience of live theatre.

The venue also provides a springboard for future performers who then go on to the West End.

Although it has a smaller capacity of 350 seats, the Brewhouse is still the town's main theatre.

Some believe the closure should spark a wider conversation about what sort of theatre the town needs.

Taunton MP Gideon Amos said: "The Brewhouse is getting packed houses, but the challenge was it's not a big enough venue, it doesn't have enough seats, we need a bigger, better theatre in Taunton."

Since it was built in 1977 the pantomime has been an annual tradition for generations of Somerset families, often performing to sellout crowds.

Many household names have performed there including Michael McIntyre, Pam Ayres and, of course, The Wurzels.

For many local residents, however, its legacy may be the role it played as a community theatre that brought performers, volunteers and audiences together for nearly 50 years.

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