Oldham Coliseum has announced in a shock move that it is having to cancel all its upcoming shows from March through 2023, including its summer programme and popular pantomime, after a "disappointing" funding rejection.

The iconic Fairbottom Street venue, which has stood in Oldham for more than 135 years and is one of the oldest theatres in the country, was snubbed from vital Arts Council England (ACE) funding in November last year.

The theatre had been in receipt of ACE National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funds since at least 2015, receiving £604,067 every year plus an additional £615,182 last year to help it survive through the aftermath of Covid.

READ MORE: Oldham Coliseum Theatre announces 'disappointing' funding rejection

But having suddenly lost its ACE NPO status for 2022/23, the survival of the theatre has been called into question.

Now, it has announced "with great regret" that it will have to cancel all of its shows from Sunday, March 26.

This includes its Spring-Summer programme and the 2023-24 Sleeping Beauty pantomime, which is a popular annual event.

The Coliseum is also one of only 32 regularly producing theatres in England.

A spokesperson for the theatre said: "Following the news on November 4, 2022, that the Coliseum will no longer be part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio from 1 April 2023, the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team have been working hard to find a solution to this reduction in funding.

"The theatre put the pantomime on sale in November and announced the Spring-Summer season in early December with the best possible intentions, while still exploring options that may have enabled the continuation of the programme.

"However, the current financial situation is not sustainable for the season as planned."

The Coliseum hopes to work with ACE and Oldham Council to secure its future and said all current events up until March 26 will still be going ahead as planned.

However, the spokesperson continued: "It has been an incredibly difficult decision to cancel the programme of events and we understand the disappointment this will undoubtedly cause."

It has also been confirmed ticket holders for other events beyond March 26 will be refunded over the coming weeks.