Above The Stag Theatre in London has abruptly closed down, midway through the run of a revival of Jimmie Chinn’s comedy, Straight and Narrow.

The venue opened in the railway arches in Vauxhall four years ago but warned in February that it faced difficulties because of “uncertainty” around the Covid pandemic.

In a statement today (7 August), it announced it had “ceased trading and permanently closed”, adding that it would release more details on Tuesday 9 August.

Straight and Narrow, directed by Mark Curry, began its run at the theatre on 3 August and was due to run until 28 August. It had its press night on 4 August, earning a number of four-star reviews.

It starred Lewis Allcock, Todd Von Joel, Carol Royle, Kerry Enright, Harriett Hare, Damon Jeffery and Gavin Duff.

In its statement, Above The Stag added: “Ticket holders with future bookings will be refunded in full. Trade creditors, staff, creatives, actors and technicians with any outstanding amounts due will be paid in full.”

The theatre was originally founded above The Stag, a LGBTQ+ pub in Victoria, in 2008 by Peter Bull. After the pub was scheduled for demolition, it moved to a temporary home in a railway arch in Vauxhall before its move to its current site on Albert Embankment.

Alongside a large bar and outside terrace, Above The Stag Theatre featured a 100-seat main house and a 70-seat cabaret-style space. It specialised in staging LGBTQ+ theatre and cabaret, including an annual adult pantomime.

In February, Matthew Baldwin, chair of the charity that runs Above The Stag Theatre, said it would not be renewing its five-year lease and was planning no main-house productions because it was “too financially risky”. He indicated at the time that they were searching for a new location.