Hessenthaler Back In Business

With thousands of fans waiting to see how much they’ll get refunded for the tickets they bought for the summer shows that were canceled when his last company went bankrupt, Suffolk, England-based promoter John Hessenthaler is already back in business with dates lined up for December.

Working as an individual, rather than under the umbrella of a limited liability company, he’s putting on a run of theatre dates for a show called “Merry Xmas Everybody,” although the sentiment may not amuse the creditors of John Hessenthaler Concert Productions Limited.

JHCP went bust in the summer, leaving as many as 24,000 ticket-holders out of pocket as shows by McFly, Daniel Bedingfield, Will Young, Status Quo, Paul Weller, and Jools Holland were pulled.

Bryan Hunwick of Ensors – the Ipswich-based accountants who are handling the winding up of the company – still can’t say how much JHCP has gone down for, and Hessenthaler isn’t responding to questions about how his new venture is structured and funded.

The tour features chart-topping ’70s glam rockers Slade, including original members Dave Hill and Don Powell, and opens at Grimsby Auditorium December 3rd.

— John Gammon