Cape Town's NewSpace Theatre, which opened its doors just over a year ago, has hit a rocky patch and at least five shows have been put on hold as its management has run into financial trouble.
While the building is owned by Indigo Properties, the theatre has been managed by producer Colin Law and his Avro Asia Events Specialists company for the past year.
The old Space Theatre, a defiantly non-racial and anti-apartheid theatre, was established in 1972. After it closed its doors in the 1980s it was revived with great aspirations as the NewSpace Theatre at 44 Long Street at the end of 2008.
Earlier this month Law was forced to pull the first production for the year, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, two weeks early because it received bad reviews. He then cancelled Tomfoolery which was to run this month.
In an interview with Weekend Argus this week Law confirmed he had run into financial trouble and has had to cancel all future productions temporarily. These include four other productions - The Mystery of Irma Yep, Spring Awakening, Brothers in Song and Bambi Kellerman that were to fill the theatre's seats up to July.
Law said: "I have run out of money. It's no sin. Running a theatre needs deeper pockets. I have cleaned out my personal savings and I am mortgaged to the hilt. I have put R3 million into running this theatre since I took over. It costs money to put on shows."
He said he was working with the owners of the theatre to find new management and to come up with ways of running the theatre. "For 50 weeks I have kept these doors open."
One of the co-owners of the NewSpace, Nick Ferguson, said it had been a difficult financial year for everyone. They were exploring new ideas to keep the theatre's doors open. Law was a tenant who had run out of money. "We are looking for new management and new ways to run the theatre. We're exploring doing films, live music and stand-up comedy."
He said it was important to keep the theatre going because a number of small restaurants and bars relied on the theatre's clientele.
Law's woes started two months ago when disgruntled former colleagues, who claimed he had ripped them off, started lobbying against him.
A Facebook website called "Colin Law how much does he owe you?" was set up but was shut down within four days because it went against the website's rules. Shortly after that a website called the CLaw Project was set up to "bring about awareness of malpractices... in the theatre industry".
The website says it also wants to bring awareness and support for people in the industry who have not been paid by Law.
The complaints of non-payment Weekend Argus received date back to the 1990s. One court order which is still valid says Law owes more than R100 000.
But an angry Law accused people of pursuing a "vendetta" against him. Most of these claims were old. "Every producer has skeletons in their closets. This website is defamatory and I am consulting my lawyers."
He admitted that in his 35-year career "I have not been an angel".
Photographer Pat Bromilow-Downing, who set up the website, claimed that over the past 30 years Law had "ripped off" entertainment industry people by non-payment for services rendered.
"Three days after I set up the campaign on Facebook he settled a bill but he still owes me money."
Gillian Lindner from the South African College of Music said she had a court order confirming he owed her over R100 000 from a production they put on together in the '90s. She said she would not give up until she received the money she was owed.
The owner of the Baxter Theatre Restaurant, Jessica Lyon, said she also had a court order against Law for money owed. "Law is not welcome at my restaurant."
Michael Maas, chief executive officer of the Artscape Theatre, said their policy was not to work with Law because he still owed them money.
Musician Chris Luke said he was also owed money by Law. The industry needed a proper union to deal with the exploitation of artists, he said.