A new report calling for a massive investment in London theatres has been published by The Theatres Trust, a government appointed body created by Parliament in 1976 to protect theatres. The report, entitled ?Act Now! Modernising London?s West End Theatres?, was based on a two-year research study, and calls for support to enable a programme of modernisation to improve conditions for the theatre-going public. The report estimates that over £250m is required over the next fifteen years for building renovations in London alone.
Peter Longman, Director of The Theatres Trust said, ?We all know what?s wrong with these theatres ? nearly all of them are 100 years old and they reflect the conventions of a very different era... Our research has demonstrated it is no longer realistic to expect owners to put things right without outside assistance?. The Trust is calling for discussions with government to evaluate the position of commercial theatres, especially in the context of the investment that subsidised theatres have received in the past ten years from sources such as the Lottery. Among the key modernisation issues highlighted are lack of leg-room, toilet facilities and poor seating. In the research, nearly half of all theatres were found to have totally inadequate provision for wheelchair users and a quarter had inadequate or non-existent air conditioning or comfort cooling.
Responding to the report, Richard Pulford, Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), said: ?We very much welcome this report, which sets in context one of the key challenges facing commercial theatre and its owners. We are fortunate that at present the owners of the largest West End theatre groups are all genuinely interested in maintaining live theatres and are themselves investing heavily in maintaining the fabric of their buildings. The challenge, however, is to modernise these buildings for the next generation and beyond?. London?s 40 commercial theatres are estimated to sell 10 million tickets each year, as well as generating an estimated secondary spend of over £400m.
The call for increased support for West End theatres coincides with declarations of renewed confidence in the provincial, subsidised sector. The judges for this year?s Theatrical Management Association (TMA) awards praised the emergence of ?significantly more productions on a larger scale? throughout regional theatre. The New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich was among the winners at the awards ceremony on October 19, winning the second Arts Council England Eclipse Award. The Opus Award for Best Touring Production went to the Watermill Theatre for the Propeller production of A Midsummer Night?s Dream, and The Stage Award for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre went to the recently refurbished Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond, North Yorkshire. Musselburgh?s 296-seat Brunton Theatre won the award for Most Welcoming Theatre. The theatre, which re-branded in 2002 to present a mixed range of productions, emphasises excellent customer service and has launched various initiatives, such as opening the theatre bar after shows and employing some staff in dual roles.
ACT NOW! Modernising London?s West End Theatres can be obtained from the Theatres Trust w: http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk