黑洞社区

Miller鈥檚 problem theatre job at Bangor University has suffered a further blow after the university decided to cancel the opening show, which had already been put back five months.

In September, the university announced the opening production in the Theatr Bryn Terfel had been pushed back from late September to the New Year because the building wouldn鈥檛 be ready.

The theatre, which should have completed in August, is the first phase of a wider Pontio cultural centre at Bangor University being built by Miller.

Speaking to 黑洞社区 last month Ken Gillespie, construction chief executive at Galliford Try, which now owns Miller Construction, said the project team was 鈥渢argeting completion by the end of November 2014鈥� for all phases of the project.

But yesterday the university announced that it had cancelled the opening show, which it said it had pencilled in for February, and that it was still working with Miller to agree a revised timetable for completion.

Bangor University鈥檚 vice-chancellor John Hughes said the decision to cancel the opening show, Chwalfa, was 鈥渄ifficult and painful鈥�.

He said: 鈥淔ollowing detailed discussions with the contractor, and with [production company] Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, it has become clear that work on the building project is unlikely to be completed in time for us to reschedule Chwalfa in February as originally hoped.

鈥淲e are now going through a detailed process of review with the contractor, Miller, to establish a revised timetable for opening.鈥�

Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru鈥檚 artistic director Arwel Gruffydd said it was 鈥渄isappointing鈥� that the show had to be cancelled.

鈥淭his comes after months of preparatory work, and many of us 鈥� artists, professional theatre workers as well as members of the local community 鈥� have worked tirelessly and given so much to create this exceptional production.

鈥淲e, and Pontio, will be seeking every possible opportunity to stage this work in the future. Unfortunately it was not possible for us to have assurances that Theatr Bryn Terfel would be ready for us to do so in the New Year. We will therefore continue with plans to stage another production elsewhere in the New Year.鈥�

A Galliford Try spokesperson said: 鈥淒ue to unforeseen circumstances in the construction process, the Pontio building remains yet to have been completed.

鈥淲e sympathise with all those who have been affected by the delay, and we continue to work hard with Bangor University to complete construction within the quickest possible timescale.鈥�