The official takeover of Sutton’s theatres has been delayed, but bosses at the new management trust have promised it is still full speed ahead for the project.

The Charles Cryer and Secombe Theatres were saved from closure after months of speculation into their futures after their day-to-day running was handed over to Sutton Theatres Trust back in January.

A soft handover date was due in April, but it has emerged that the new regime’s start date has been pushed back to June.

Micha Colombo, who runs the trust along with Beri Juraic, said: “It is a particularly busy time. There is a lot to organise before we take over our premises. We are going through all the bits of admin and going through bits with the council.

“We will have a new programme once we take over in June. There are established bookings, with our in-house productions kicking off from October.

“The original date we were due to take over was in April, but it has taken a lot longer. It’s been pushed back a few months.

“There is a lot of information that we need from the council. Information about building and maintenance.

“We are just trying to be as thorough as possible.”

The theatres are still running a full complement of shows.

Sutton Council confirmed the new date of June as the two groups go through due diligence, stating the “legal process needs to be right to give the trust the best possible start”.

As for any knock-on effect the delay has had on the borough’s finances, the council have said that revenue streams from bookings have “minimised additional cost” during the handover period and that the project remains within budget allocation.

A council spokesman said: “We are supporting business continuity and working hard to ensure a smooth transfer of our two theatres over to Sutton Theatres Trust.”