Forthcoming productions at Kevin Spacey's London theatre have been axed for five months following weeks of poor audience ratings and dismal critical reviews.
David Liddiment, producer of the Old Vic Theatre Company, has confirmed the venue will not stage any more in-house plays until September, when Spacey will take the lead role in Eugene O'Neill's A Moon For The Misbegotten.
The five-month gap will begin next weekend after the early closure of Arthur Miller's play Resurrection Blues, directed by Robert Altman, which has been labelled by some critics as "bizarrely awful" and a "terrible embarrassment".
Hollywood star Spacey denied the theatre was in trouble in January after insiders claimed chaos is rife behind the scenes.
British theatre critic Terry Paddock says: "It will be very hard for Spacey and his company to regain any momentum now they aren't putting on anything themselves for five months."