Partner Article

Philip Bernays, Chief Executive of Theatre Royal shares his future vision

The Theatre Royal will reach a major milestone in February 2012 – its 175 birthday. We are planning a magnificent party to celebrate and everyone will be invited. This important event, and the £4.75 million restoration we are currently undergoing in preparation for it, is a great opportunity for us to reflect on what an important venue the Theatre is, and the reasons it generates such a sense of pride in the region and beyond.

One of only ten Grade 1 Listed theatres in England and regarded by many as the UK’s finest theatre building, the Theatre Royal is a cultural engine, with an annual audience of more than 300,000 and over 380 performances each year.

Granted its Royal licence by King George III in 1787, it had relatively modest premises on Drury Lane in 1788 before moving in 1837 to Grey Street to become the flagship building in Grainger and Dobson’s famous city plan.

It remains the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Newcastle, with its famously fine façade and splendid Frank Matcham interior (constructed after the original interior had been destroyed by a devastating fire in 1899). Over the centuries, many of the great names of the English stage have trodden its boards, from Keane to Irving, Olivier to Dench and the Hollywood greats Orson Welles, Charlton Heston and Jack Lemmon. In 2009 the modern great Sir Ian McKellen described the Theatre Royal as his favourite theatre. Our programme is rich and varied featuring world-class drama, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre productions, an Opera North season, and a rich array of contemporary dance, musicals and comedy - and the fastest selling Pantomime in the country!

The Theatre Royal is an important monument of civic pride with a great history and huge fan base – but to ensure a great future we must continue to evolve in a way that meets the changing needs of our audiences while at the same time reinforcing and protecting everything that makes us special. We are currently ‘dark’ (no shows) while we restore our auditorium to recreate Matcham’s classic 1901 Edwardian design and introduce the highest modern standards of comfort, energy and carbon efficiency. In the auditorium new seating will be installed at all levels as well as new lighting and ventilation, major renovations to fabrics, carpets and paintwork and extensive gold-leaf work. When we re-open in less than nine weeks time on 12th September visitors can expect the best theatrical experience in the UK.

These are difficult times for everyone, with the Arts being particularly hard-hit – and although we operate from a strong commercial base with 90% of income from Box Office and related sales, we are, like other commercial organisations, at the mercy of fluctuations in wider affluence. Our strategy is to never rest on our laurels, and continually strive to keep our programme as fresh, high quality and engaging as it possibly can be. Our new season went on sale last week and there are some big shows and huge names in there – it’s going to be one of our best yet.

This year has been a big year for us, but next year will be even bigger, and we can’t wait to celebrate with the people of Newcastle – toasting a magnificent past and looking forward to a prosperous future!

Philip Bernays, Chief Executive Theatre Royal

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Philip Bernays .