Passionfruit company hopeful new lease on venue will be signed soon

Athlone"s Passionfruit Theatre Company hopes it will be given an opportunity in the coming days to sign a new lease at the Freemasons" premises on Northgate Street. A short meeting took place on Wednesday evening last between Fiona Ducke, Secretary of the Passionfruit company, and Bernard Corcoran, Secretary of the Athlone Lodge of the Freemasons. Ms Ducke said Mr Corcoran told her that he hoped the Passionfruit company would sign a new lease at the building. 'He told me that he would have to report back to the building"s committee and that he would be in touch with me again once he had done that,' Ms Ducke told the Westmeath Independent this week. 'It was a very positive meeting and we"re hopeful that we"ll have good news very soon. Hopefully the next step will be to sign the new lease,' she said. Last month, approximately 150 people attended a public meeting to discuss issues surrounding the ending of the theatre company"s lease at the Northgate Street venue. A second public meeting has been scheduled for 7.30pm tomorrow (Thursday) at The Bounty. Ms Ducke stated that this meeting has been arranged to discuss the latest developments surrounding the venue. The Passionfruit Theatre opened at 9 Northgate Street in March 2008. Organisers said over €100,000 was spent on its development - a sum which included a €40,000 refurbishment grant from the government. Those involved with the theatre company said they were told on Easter Sunday that the lease on the Northgate Street venue was finished and that they would have to move out. Representatives of the Freemasons said the lease was finished because one of the two individuals who had signed the lease - the late Joe Ducke - passed away, while the other was no longer involved.