THE theatre Royal in Winchester is asking council chiefs for more money to shore up its finances.

The Jewry Street venue said it did not need the cash to stay afloat but wanted some money in reserve to make long-term planning easier.

It is seeking a share of a £400,000 pot that Winchester City Council is using to ward off the recession.

The money came from a Government windfall to the authority before the credit crunch. The Tory-run Cabinet is using it to bolster the district’s economy.

The council plans to give the theatre a one-off payment of £44,000.

It already provides an annual grant of about £200,000 to the venue, which is a registered charity and employs about 40 people.

Regular payment The regular payment is the largest that the council makes to any cultural group in the district.

Hampshire County Council also helps the venue by providing 50 per cent of the value of whatever the city council pays. As a result, the county’s grant is around £100,000.

Theatre chief executive, Fiona Burn, said the venue had held an “organisational review” to make sure its finances were in check.

That revealed that the charity might want to boost its reserves, so it asked the council for a one-off payment.

She said the theatre had enjoyed a successful year so far, with many sold out shows.

Those included a stand-up evening with Ricky Gervais in May where all tickets went within 40 minutes, breaking the box office record.

Advance sales for this year’s pantomime, The Wizard of Oz, are also ahead of last year’s offering, Beauty and the Beast.