The chairman of Kingston Theatre Trust is still confident he will get money for the Rose, despite being forced to wait until the very last moment for the cash.

Theatre bosses told the council last night that any delay which stopped them receiving the £600,000 promised by the Lib Dem administration before the end of the year would would kill the theatre almost immediately.

But Conservatives sitting on a scrutiny panel insisted that every one of the 48 elected members in an extraordinary full council should have the right to have a say on the £1.8m mooted for the theatre on behalf of voters.

Chairman Anthony Simonds-Gooding said: "Last night was a bit of a shock but people [at the theatre] are feeling good. There is a complete sell-out on Christmas Eve.

"The Liberal Democrats have decided upon it and I don't think anything is going to change their mind, but nothing is done until it is done."

He denied the theatre was being taken to the brink of financial ruin and said: "They [the Conservatives in the council] are taking themselves to the brink. I have done my bit and if the people don't want a theatre, well there we are.

"They would be absolutely mad but there has been madness in the world before."

And he dismissed calls to sack the board of the theatre as "bloody nonsense", saying he was currently creating a "glittering team" of new board members.

For more on the Rose Theatre see http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/rosetheatre/