STAFF at the Pavilion Theatre have been dealt another blow after their temporary studio was destroyed by flood water.

The historic theatre has been closed since the devastating Sauchiehall Street fire in April.

Firefighters were able to save the building but staff have not been able to access it since due to health and safety concerns.

Due to being in such close proximity to the affected buildings, it has had to remain closed while the lengthy demolition is undertaken.

Workers have since moved to a new rehearsal space and storage unit in Parkhouse where they are currently rehearsing for upcoming shows, including the annual Christmas pantomime.

Following torrential rain on Saturday evening, the workspace was left submerged under three inches of water which drenched panto scenery, costumes, props and tools.

General manager Iain Gordon added: “Even the microwave was flooded.

“So instead of fire, we are now dealing with extensive water damage, thank goodness for insurance and a great staff who rallied round over the weekend.

“We have managed to move half of the scenery to another dry space and with dehumidifiers and the wind behind us, hopefully by Wednesday we will be over the worst.”

The rainfall has also added to concerns that the interior of the theatre may have been damaged by smoke, subsequent ‘dampening’ by the fire brigade and heavy rain.

Mr Gordon has once again requested access to the building to examine its condition and make a decision on what will need repaired before they are able to reopen.

The theatre boss is confident that they will be back up and running in time for Celtic The Musical which has been rescheduled for September.

“One major disappointment during all this was that we have a brand new sing-a-long comedy called ‘Rally Roon The Rangers’ which should have been on during July and was starring Stephen Purdon and Grado.

“It would have been the ‘must see show’ for all Rangers fans but we will be keeping it until next year as it really is one of the best scripts we have had for a long time.

“I really feel sorry for a number of business around the theatre that have now closed for business, probably never to reopen, and I think this part of the city centre will be a bit of a ghost town in the months to come.

“ I urge the council to consider what impact this has had on a lot of these small businesses which are the heart of any city centre and maybe look at rates relief or additional funding to assist these business to come back to life as to date