MALVERN Theatres is reopening after a frantic 12 months which nearly saw it go out of business.

The theatre welcomes back visitors on June 8 following one of the most difficult years in its history, narrowly being saved thanks to thousands of pounds in donations from the public.

Chief Executive Nic Lloyd said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received since the beginning of the pandemic.

“I’d like to thank our generous community for your continued support.

“Without our loyal audiences we would not be here today.

“As our doors reopen, we look forward to this next chapter with renewed confidence; a bright future where we can enjoy live theatre together once again.”

Performances taking place before June 21st will be sold at half capacity in line with Government guidelines.

The Festival Theatre will reopen on June 8 with Cold War thriller A Splinter of Ice presented by the award-winning Original Theatre Company.

Oliver Ford Davies (Game of Thrones, Star Wars) and Stephen Boxer (The Crown) star in this new play by Ben Brown. Later in July, Ralph Fiennes stars in a world premiere adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets.

Mostly written during WWII when the closure of playhouses during the Blitz interrupted Eliot’s work in theatre, the four parts (Burnt Norton, East Coker, The Dry Salvages and Little Gidding) were the culminating achievement of Eliot’s Nobel Prize winning literary career.

To add to this line-up, Jodie Prenger stars in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s classic musical Tell Me On A Sunday, and, inspired by real life events, Charlie and Stan is the remarkable story of the greatest comedy double act that nearly was.

Malvern Theatres Young Company returns in August with Sophocles’s Electra.

Following the success of their previous productions of Under Milk Wood and Antigone, Electra will be presented ‘in the round’ and with no charge for admission.

Malvern Cinema is also set to reopen from 3rd June with a programme of films including the Academy Award winning Nomadland, The Father starring Anthony Hopkins, Minari, Sound of Metal and Judas and The Black Messiah.

All tickets are now on sale online at malvern-theatres.co.uk or by phone on 01684 892277 (9.30am-5.30pm Monday-Saturday).