Two Strictly Come Dancing stars have canceled their respective shows at Hillingdon’s Beck Theater as the future of the Hayes arena hangs in the balance. After a public spat between operators Trafalgar Entertainment and Hillingdon Council, Trafalgar walked away from negotiations on a new deal that would keep them at the helm.
Shows by Giovanni Pernice and Anton du Beke due to take place at The Beck in January 2025 have now been canceled due to the instability surrounding the future of the theatre. The option to buy tickets from Trafalgar’s website now shows an error message.
The site still has a few shows listed for the new year, but uncertainty remains as to whether any will go ahead. At the time of writing, there is no public information to suggest that the council has found new operators, nor have they announced any interim plan at this time.
In September, Hillingdon Council said it was “seeking new arrangements” so that it no longer subsidizes a “privately owned commercial entity”. But despite the theater operators offering to pay rent, talks broke down on a number of occasions between Trafalgar and Hillingdon Council.
Behind closed doors there appeared to be hope that a deal was close after the two sides resumed talks, but in a shock statement on Friday, October 11, the council said: “Last Friday, terms were discussed which appeared to be mutually acceptable which would ensure the continuation of Beck’s business for a further three-and-a-half years, while discussing long-term investment ambitions for a new theater in the future. But late on Tuesday night (October 8), Trafalgar changed its demands and the deal has fallen through.”
A spokesman for Trafalgar quickly hit back at the council. They said: “We are disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised, by the latest public statement from Hillingdon Council (LBH) regarding the Beck Theatre. Unfortunately, it reflects their attitude during our negotiations.
They went on to accuse council officers of being “unprofessional” and acting in an “appalling” manner. The spokesman added: “Not only did they fail to understand the gravity of the situation, or to recognize the importance of continued cultural and community provision in Hillingdon – their attitude was one of contempt. This fact was acknowledged by council officers at subsequent meetings.”
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