This isn’t the update we wanted to share, but it’s an important one. We are facing the possibility that we may not be able to move into 12-14 Church Street as planned. This doesn’t change our ambition to open an improv theatre called the Ampersand in Brighton, but it does mean the path to doing so may look different from what we expected.

As many of you know, we’ve been working towards opening a teaching and performance space for well over a year. We announced it, ran a successful crowdfunding campaign, and have been ready to build it out for some time. 

Sadly, over the last fifteen months or so, there have been significant delays to this process. We were dealing with three different companies (plus a law firm) with different priorities, all of whom were slow to respond. Members of staff changed, information had to be supplied multiple times, and there were a lot of questions about our use of the space. It was frustrating at times, but we responded with all of the information and reassurance that we could. We understand that opening a theatre is outside what these companies normally do. They did not have a procedure for it. 

Just before Christmas, we thought we had reached the finishing line, but we were told that the proposed terms of the lease were changing. Specifically, the landlord was inserting a symmetrical five-year break clause. As we would need to spend a significant amount to redevelop the space, this would put our investment at risk. We don’t believe this is a responsible thing to agree to, for quite a few reasons. 

The landlord made it very clear that this is a new policy from their board and that there is no wiggle room. There is a possibility that they will offer a reverse premium, which refunds money if the break clause is invoked. However, we are not sure if we could agree to that. The risk may still be too great. Negotiations are, again and frustratingly, ongoing. 

That means we may not be moving into The Ampersand in the way we originally expected, and certainly not when we hoped. 

This process has been frustrating and disappointing at times, especially after the momentum and excitement of the announcement and crowdfunding campaign. We have spent significant money on legal fees, design, and preparation to build. It has been one of our focuses for the last couple of years. But we need to approach this carefully. We want to build something that lasts, an exciting new Brighton venue and a destination for visitors. It is essential that, in doing so, we do not put the company at risk.

Because AndAlso is much more than a venue. We have more students and teachers than ever, and the autumn celebration and the showing just before the holidays proved just what a large and talented community we have. We are hugely proud of what we are building. A venue is a tool to help build this, not the be-all and end-all. It is the people who matter. 

We are sure there will be many questions, some of which we will be able to answer and some not yet. We plan to record a podcast later in the week, and then run an (online) town hall meeting very soon. We are also starting to look at new buildings, as well as talking to existing pubs and theatres to see what might be possible. You can email us on heather@andalsoimprov.com or jules@andalsoimprov.com (or both) if you have questions or suggestions. We are sure someone will know someone who will know the right place. 

Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in us so far. We don’t take this decision lightly, and we’ll continue to keep sharing what is happening. 

Jules, Heather and the AndAlso team