The Cat in the Hat is back to the Invercargill Civic Theatre on July 10, just in time for the school holidays but not in time to save three front-of-house jobs.

Between February 1, 2019 and May 31, 2019, the theatre earned $144,510 in revenue.

However, it earned just 7.09% of that amount – $10,255 – during the same period this year; all of it before COVID-19 pandemic social distancing rules forced the theatre to temporarily close its doors in late March.

The theatrical version of Dr Seuss’s 200-word masterpiece is being welcomed by Invercargill City Council chief executive Clare Hadley, who has confirmed 21 cancelled bookings in the main auditorium from the beginning of April, resulting from the COVID-19 restrictions.

“Some of these were multiple day bookings, one of them being the IMT’s production of Les Miserable, of 12 shows. There has also been a small number of cancelled functions which were booked in our function room spaces.

“Some of the shows that have cancelled for this timeframe, have been rescheduled for later in the year, or next year.” 

“Ratepayers will need to absorb the costs of operating the venues without any revenue for this period, and we anticipate a drop in revenue for the foreseeable future.  

“The positions of two part-time and one full time front of house staff have been disestablished,” Mrs Hadley said. 

In February, the theatre earned $7073 ($14,024 in 2019), while March drew in $3182 ($38,862 in 2019). No earnings were recorded in April and May ($36,169 and $55,455 respectively in 2019).

The Invercargill City Council has forecast in its 2020-21 annual plan (adopted June 9) that the economic impact of COVID-19 will cause council revenue to drop by about $1 million in the next financial year.

The council will operate a deficit budget and is looking for efficiencies to reduce costs.

It is also consulting staff over an organisational restructure, proposed in March before the COVID-19 lockdown occurred.

Now that the nation is at COVID-19 Level One and social distancing requirements have been removed, local promoters have begun booking shows again.

The cancelled events were the Jehovah Witness Conference, the ILT Southland Entertainment Awards, Menopause the Musical, Operatunity Daytime Shows, CMNZ Letters from Iraq, The Look of Love, Showquest, The Male Gayz, CMNZ Calefax, and Les Miserables.

The Ten Tenors has a new date of April 16, 2021.

Several other events scheduled for this year have been postponed with new dates to be confirmed. 

They are: Yesterday Once More, World of Musicals, Daniel O’Donnell, Roger Hall play, and Symphony Orchestra – Elton John Tribute. 

The council spent $15.8 million in 2004-05 to upgrade the 114-year-old theatre into a performing arts and events facility that seats 1015 people.

See it: The Cat in the Hat, 10 July, Invercargill Civic Theatre, 10.30am and 1pm. Tickets on Eventfinda.