THE owner of the New Empire Theatre says he will pursue legal action against his tenants over unpaid rent.

Richard Shea hit out at those running the charitable fund, which he thought had been set up to buy the Alexandra Street theatre outright.

The property has been closed by Shea Properties because Southend’s only community theatre owed £28,000 in rent.

Donations have begun pouring in to the theatre’s fund in a bid to keep it afloat, while community groups have been left shocked by the sudden closure. But Mr Shea had no sympathy for the theatre’s plight and blamed its management for the closure.

Mr Shea said: “Quite frankly I am fed up with the whole issue and I have decided it is best to simply go down the legal route now.

“My understanding was the fund was set up to buy the building from Shea Properties, but now I find they have been using the money to finance the rent and running costs and there is nothing left.

“They have always been the worst payers over their rent, but I have been portrayed as being the villain when I have been bending over backwards to help them through the problems.

“Eventually it has to stop and now I don’t want to know anything more about it and it can go into the hands of the lawyers.”

Mr Shea’s comments are likely to see the theatre remain closed for the foreseeable future, but the New Empire’s manager Julie Robertson was more hopeful. She said: “We have been talking and have already received donations of £5,000 and three offers to pay the rent for the current month.

“People have also been telephoning me to say they didn’t even know the New Empire Theatre existed. If we are able to reopen we will have to look at ways of raising our profile and our fundraising.”

Tessa Davis, spokesman for the New Empire Theatre fund, said she had tried to pay Shea Properties. She said: “I offered to pay £10,000 at once and the other £20,000 outstanding within ten days.

“I was told by Shea Properties we had to pay everything now, together with their court costs, which are likely to be between £3,000 and £10,000 and also the costs from the bailiffs which are totally unknown at the moment.

“I just do not know what is going to happen now. I do not think it is possible for us to meet it at the moment.”

Southend Council recently agreed to support the theatre and paid for repairs to the roof and the boiler, work which is now at a halt.

Derek Jarvis, councillor responsible for leisure, said: “It is a shame a valuable community asset has been forced to close, but there is no official statement at the moment until the situation becomes clearer.”

The closure is a massive blow to Julie Robertson, who, with her family, has spent the past ten years building up a community theatre in the centre of Southend.

She said the problems which had caused the current crisis arose from a delay by Southend Council in carrying out work on the roof and the boiler at the theatre.

“There was an eight-week delay in carrying out the promised work during the summer, which meant we could not book the shows which we wanted and could have paid the rent.

“We have asked if we could hang on for a while before we paid when the pantomime bookings started to come in.

“I know the receipts from Jack and the Beanstalk and other new initiatives which we have for the theatre would have been able to pay the rent, but Shea Properties were not prepared to give us any more time.

“We feel in limbo at the moment.

“We do not know what is going to happen.

“If we were still open then I am sure we could carry on.”

The theatre relies on ticket sales and the New Empire Theatre Fund, which is a fundraising trust which helps the theatre with running costs.

Mr Shea added: “Shea Properties does give money to charities, but I am already charging them a reasonable amount for the building. “If the fund keeps raising money, then why can’t they pay us the rent?”

However fund trustee Tessa Davis said: “The fund itself does not have any money and everything we raise is passed over to the theatre for its running costs.

“The simple truth is we have run out of money until more comes in, and this seems unlikely with the theatre closed.”

SHEA PROPERTIES BACKGROUND

RICHARD Shea’s company Shea Properties is a large player in Southend’s nightclub and bar scene.

Based in Brentwood, the company currently owns three of the town’s late night venues.

It had originally planned to turn the New Empire into a nightclub when the property was acquired from the ABC cinema chain after it was closed down in 1997. Shea Properties currently owns Mayhem, in Warrior Square, Churchill’s in Tylers Avenue, and Storm, in Elmer Approach.

Mr Shea insisted he had no plans to turn the New Empire Theatre into a nightclub.

He said: “It would be ridiculous to think about starting any more clubs in Southend. If the New Empire does not come up with the rent, then the building will go on the market. It is a simple as that.

“If someone else wants to take it over and run it as a theatre then they can have it, provided the price is realistic.

“I am not being an ogre, but with the financial situation as it is at the moment, there is only so far you can go.”