Readers of the Ham & High have helped rescue Hampstead Theatre’s £15m bid to build a new venue.

The newspaper featured an urgent appeal five weeks ago and readers have donated £13,000 for the project, a figure boosted by a further £10,000 from the newspaper’s parent company, Eastern Counties Newspaper Group.

More donations, from private individuals, went direct to the theatre in the final week of the appeal taking the fund to more than £100,000.

The internationally-renowned theatre turned to the newspaper when it faced a funding crisis.

But thanks to the support generated it can now qualify for the next slice of Lottery funding to enable important renovation work to be completed.

Artistic director Jenny Topper said: “I would like to say how grateful I am to readers of the Ham & High who responded to our pleas for help.

“I am thrilled that people believed in the dream, which can now become a reality.”

Hundreds of donors have come forward since January, including major figures including Sir Richard Eyre and Sir Cameron Mackintosh and playwrights David Hare, Alan Plater and Tom Stoppard.

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