Abbey in financial mess as theatre bosses quit

THE artistic director and managing director of the Abbey Theatre are to step down as the national theatre spirals further into deficit, it emerged last night.

With an accumulated deficit of €2.4 million, the theatre is about €900,000 worse off than it had projected. An accounting error is being blamed.

The theatre’s artistic director, Ben Barnes, and managing director Brian Jackson brought the problem to the national theatre’s board of directors on Tuesday and offered their resignations.