There will be a decision on Monday about further funding, writes Deirdre Falvey, Arts Editor
Onwards and upwards seems to be the motto. The Abbey was yesterday maintaining it was business as usual, as it picked itself up after the findings of the financial consultants' report, which is accelerating changes to the famously labyrinthine structures at the national theatre. These include the imminent departure of the board of directors.
Fears on Wednesday that the Abbey was facing technical insolvency by the end of the week were temporarily halted with an Arts Council cheque yesterday to ensure wages could be paid today.
The council wouldn't confirm the figure but the money came from the theatre's annual revenue funding (€5,050,000 in 2005) rather than the €2m "stabilisation" grant which depends on changes being implemented, and only a small portion of which has been signed over.
This week's to-ing and fro-ing of leaked letters about insolvency may have been part of an elaborate bargaining between the theatre and the council over the release of funds and the release of the report.
At the staff meeting directly after Wednesday's lengthy board meeting, KPMG briefed workers on the details of the report, and director Fiach MacConghail, whose priority is that staff are kept informed, attempted to reassure and offer leadership. The report on the Abbey's finances will be discussed at a day-long Arts Council meeting on Monday, and a decision will be made about releasing more money.
The council has been keen for some time to receive the report; the Abbey gave a copy to the council and to Minister for the Arts John O'Donoghue, but only released a detailed summary for public consumption. It is believed that, according to legal advice, some of the report could be actionable as it names individuals.
Following the appointment of MacConghail as director - incorporating both artistic and management functions which had previously been carried out by artistic director Ben Barnes and managing director Brian Jackson, both of whom left the company in May - the theatre is slowly reforming the internal structure.
Directly below MacConghail will be four directors: two new directors, of public affairs and of finance and administration, whose posts were recently advertised in The Irish Times, plus technical director Tony Wakefield and the creation of another new post, that of literary director.
Pending the finance director's appointment, Declan Cantwell has been made interim chief financial officer.
Planned productions include nothing on the expensive scale of The Shaughraun. An all-male version of The Importance of Being Earnest opens at the Abbey on Tuesday, and bookings are very strong, according to the theatre.
The rest of the year's programme is in place, and sources at the theatre are gung-ho that it is very much a case of the show going on. Sources say plans for next year are more ambitious.
The Dublin Theatre Festival shows are a co-production with Belfast's Lyric Theatre of Hamlet at the Peacock, and the Tricycle theatre production of Bloody Sunday: scenes from the Saville Inquiry on the main stage.
After the festival there will be a new production of Lennox Robinson's Drama at Inis at the Abbey, and the Peacock will be dark for the rest of the year.
Five people have left the theatre under a voluntary redundancy scheme, and more are to follow within a few months, totalling nine.
There is to be an immediate interim audit of the management accounts for the first six months of 2005, as the financial position for this year is unclear.
A new company will be set up at corporate level, limited by guarantee, along with a new board. The Minister has said he is keen that this would be in place no later than September, and that the new board of nine would replace the existing convoluted structure.