Concern over city theatres as trust chief stands down

John Stalker has resigned as chief executive of the trust which runs the King's and Festival Theatre for the city council just months after it emerged a major review had been ordered into their operation.

An interim appointment is expected to be made within the next few weeks after Mr Stalker issued a brief statement saying he wanted to return to the world of theatre production. However, his sudden departure, after months of behind-the-scenes wrangling with the local authority, will raise major questions over the future of the two venues, which require a heavy subsidy from the city council.

The positions of other senior staff are also believed to be under threat.

Mr Stalker was forced to announce a redundancy programme earlier this year in a bid to slash 300,000 from the salary bill, while the King's will be open for only 15 weeks this year in an attempt to save money.

Mr Stalker has been privately at loggerheads with the local authority over the long-delayed plans to refurbish the King's, which have been scaled back from the ambitious vision he drew up shortly after he was appointed in 2001.

Less than 3 million is expected to be spent overhauling the theatre, in Tollcross, despite estimates over the past ten years that more than 20m is needed to bring it up to scratch.

The Festival City Theatres Trust, an "arms-length" body set up by the council in 1998, has been a regular target for council cuts in recent years.

But senior council figures have questioned Mr Stalker's judgment in booking shows which failed to draw big enough crowds.

There has also been council concern over the lack of control it has had over the trust, which had to receive around 400,000 early funding several months ago to pay its bills.

The ongoing review may lead to the council bringing the management of the two theatres back "in-house".

The local authority already runs the Usher Hall concert venue and is responsible for the Assembly Rooms, which will be closed until the summer of 2012 for refurbishment.

One alternative is setting up a new trust to run all the council's major arts centres in an effort to avoid duplication and share costs.

Views differ about how the crisis arose, with one source telling The Scotsman both theatres were hugely important venues in the city's cultural infrastructure but had been a "growing drain" on council resources and could be managed better.

However another insider said: "This news casts a huge doubt over these two venues, which should be thriving all year round. You only have to look at the kind of programmes put on by equivalent venues elsewhere in Britain to see that it should be much better supported by the local authority.

"Edinburgh faces missing out on major productions unless a high-profile replacement can be found as soon as possible."Mr Stalker, who will stand down on 30 June, said: "I have had ten hugely enjoyable years at the helm of these two great theatres and worked with a remarkable team of people to bring artists and audiences together.

"It's now time to hand over to a new leader who can take the theatres forward to new heights of achievement. I intend to return to theatre production in the independent sector and the support and development of new and emerging artists."

Chris Masters, chair of the theatres trust, said Mr Stalker had made a "major contribution" to it over his ten years as chief executive. "It has been a personal pleasure to work with him and all at the trust wish him well in the future."

Deidre Brock, the council's culture leader, said: "I wish John and his family all the best for the future and look forward to welcoming his successor in due course."