French show feels credit crunch

It is not only Irish small businesses that are finding to hard to get Government grants or an overdraft.

The French-based Footsbarn Travelling Theatre were left in crisis last week when their bank, Groupe Crédit Coopéeratif, refused them a €40,000 overdraft just as they were about to leave for Ireland.

Footsbarn start their latest production, Sorry!, tomorrow night in the Spiegeltent in Dublin's Point Village, but it nearly did not happen.

The company, which is in its 40th year, were due to get on a ferry last Wednesday week when the bank refused their overdraft.

The 23 members were only able to travel when they pooled together their savings.

Producer Paul Lemoyne said the arts across Europe are experiencing severe financial difficulties because of cutbacks in public spending and tighter credit facilities since the global economic crisis began in 2008.

The French Government has been cutting back on the funding it has been giving arts groups and Footsbarn have lost €150,000 in income as a result.

It has also had to cancel several shows throughout Europe because theatres are suffering themselves and cannot afford to put on their shows.

Producer Paul Lemoyne said: “Last year we played our shows 128 times. We increased our takings from €490,000 to €650,000, but that was not enough to compensate for the costs of creating the show. The general economic circumstances and recession has hit the cultural field very hard throughout Europe.”

Nevertheless, Footsbarn have made it to Ireland and their typically flamboyant show, which is a mash of a famous composer’s funeral and a gypsy wedding, will run for ten days with the possibility of extending it if the public want it.

Point Village developer Harry Crosbie, who is promoting their new show, said: “I fell in love with this show when I saw it many years ago. It is the nearest thing to the way that Shakespeare would have seen his own work.”

Ticket prices are €20 for adults, €10 for children and €15 for students, those without a job and older people.