Arts Council meets about future of Abbey Theatre

A crucial meeting of the National Arts Council is taking place today.

The extraordinary general meeting has been called following reports last May of a financial crisis in the Abbey theatre.

A report by KPMG Accountants last May shows suffered losses of more than €1.8m last year.

This was blamed on poor management by the National Theatre Society, which has run the Abbey since its foundation in 1904.

Today’s meeting plans to abolish that shareholding body and replace it with a board of nine members appointed by the Minister of Arts John O’Donoghue.

The Arts Council says this is a rescue operation and if the current shareholders do not agree funding for the Abbey will stop.