Newcastle’s Theatre Royal contributes £4.1 million to the economy

Newcastle’s Theatre Royal reportedly made a gross economic contribution to the region of £4.1 million last year, as revealed in the company’s Annual Report.

According to the independent report, between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014 the Theatre welcomed 42 visiting theatre, opera, ballet and dance companies, offered 48 productions and presented 409 performances to 337,447 people. The average audience capacity was 69% per performance, which is about 10% above the national average.

With a turnover of £9.85 million, the Theatre supported 90 full time equivalent jobs across the North East and returned £600,000 to Government in Tax, National Insurance and VAT.

Chief executive Philip Bernays said: “2013/14 was a great success, we maintained our high levels of attendance and, as a testament to the strength of the staff team and their teamwork, renewed our Investor in People accreditation with flying colours.

“My thanks go out to our dedicated staff, our committed Board of Trustees, our sponsors, supporters, audiences and partners (particularly Newcastle City Council, who despite difficult times remain a bedrock).”

Over the course of 12/13, the Theatre sold £7.65 million worth of tickets and 27,487 people joined as first time ticket buyers. The most popular show was the annual Pantomime which accounted for 27% of visitors, closely followed by musicals at 23.6%.

The financial squeeze meant the theatre had to reduce the capacity of its Learning Department and refocus its work, centring it on the Theatre Royal building and productions.

Chairman councillor Ged Bell said: “In times of uncertainty, we have had a great year thanks to the quality of our productions, high attendance levels, and dedication of the staff.

“The Theatre Royal is good for Newcastle – it really is the jewel in the crown of our great city, not only boosting the local economy but enriching the social and cultural scene in a very unique and special way.

“My thanks to all who have supported it over the year, to our audiences, to the Friends of the Theatre Royal, to our sponsors and our donors, to my colleagues on the Board of Trustees and to Philip and all the staff – no one works as hard as they all do to deliver a programme of such quality for so many people.”