Harrogate Theatre's chief executive has said he hopes Monday's government announcement on the route out of lockdown will bring some clarity on the way forward.

David Bown has worked at Harrogate Theatre for 17 years but the last 12 months have been brought unprecedented challenges.

The theatre has been closed for almost a year now but hopes to put on a show, in some form, in the months ahead.

Mr Bown is eagerly awaiting the Prime Minister's briefing on Monday but acknowledged there was still a lot of uncertainty. He said:

During the first lockdown the theatre launched an emergency fundraising appeal and, besides receiving individual donations, it has also received grants from external funders, which he says have "stabilised" finances.

The sudden loss of income due to covid forced the theatre to make some difficult decisions last year and it let go of 59% of its workforce. With no confirmed opening date, production and front of house staff were released.

Mr Bown said it now felt like groundhog day, with the remaining staff waiting for the green light to reopen. He added:

Many theatres, including Harrogate, have streamed shows online to reach a wider audience and Mr Bown thinks this will continue.

He hopes indoor theatre productions can return soon but acknowledges they are unlikely to be the same as before the pandemic. Mr Bown believes masks will continue to be mandatory, as will some form of social distancing.

He also raised concerns about the older demographic of the theatre's audience, adding that some regulars may be hesitant to return.

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He thanked people for contributing to the appeal, which he said has raised "well over £100,000" for the theatre.

Now he is hoping Monday will bring some road map forward for the theatre and other organisations across the Harrogate district.