A massive hike in costs at a Halesowen school is forcing community groups who hire the venue to move elsewhere.

The Mayheam amateur theatre group is the second society to look for a new rehearsal space after hire costs at Newfield Park Primary School leapt from around £20 a week to £60 a week.

Mayhem member Mark Moran said the Halesowen-based group, which had been rehearsing at the Whittingham Road school for over nine years, had been disappointed at the increase in costs.

He said: “It might not sound like much but when you’re rehearsing for three or four months it all adds up. Costs like that are backbreaking for a non-profit small group like ourselves.

“As well as being off-putting for new members, it means we would have to put our ticket prices up to cover ourselves – and higher ticket prices invariably mean smaller audiences.

“Unless we’d found somewhere else we wouldn’t have been able to carry on.”

Earlier this year The Halesowen News reported how the Hawne Evening Townswomen's Guild, which had met at Newfield Park since it began 40 years ago, was struggling after a hike from £18 to £45 for each session.

Both Mayhem Theatre Group and the Townswomen's Guild now meet at the Zion Christian Centre, Little Cornbow.

Newfield Park Primary School's chairman of governors, Lesley White, said the governors regretted having to raise charges but had been forced into it after Dudley Council withdrew a subsidy in 2006.

She said the increase was to cover costs like caretaker's costs and electricity Lesley added: “We are a community school which wishes to serve our community but we also had to take a realistic look at our economics.”

Mayhem Theatre Group are currently rehearsing for their next production, an original comedy double bill featuring “The Joy of Text” and “Like in the Movies”, running at Leasowes Community Theatre from July 17 to 19 at 7.30pm.

Tickets costing £5 or £8 for two are available from Mark on 07973 779496, Spex Maniax opticians on Hagley Road and Save the Children in Peckingham Street, where £1 of every ticket sold will be donated to charity.