Gemma one in a million as Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn hits milestone

She booked seven tickets for the panto Dick Whittington and promptly helped the theatre achieve a landmark.

Theatre Severn has only been open for six years, but Gemma picked up its millionth ticket.

Gemma, of Harlescott Grange in Shrewsbury, works at the town's Iceland store. She said: "I didn't believe it to be honest. When I got the phone call I thought there had been a mix-up with the booking."

She said that she regularly visited the venue to see comedy and is looking forward to enjoying the production of Dick Whittington with her family.

David Jack, the theatre's venue and programme manager, joined Gemma, theatre staff, and cast members from the forthcoming production of Dick Whittington, in celebrating the milestone.

Mr Jack said the venue had hosted 450 performances in the past 12 months and that the staff were thrilled to have reached the figure so soon.

He said: "We are delighted we have reached a remarkable milestone within such a short period of time. Attendances have been up year on year since we opened and I could not be more delighted that it has happened now."

Asked about the secret to the success of the theatre, Mr Jack said he believed that its ability to cater for all types of audiences allow it to be popular with people from all sections of the Shropshire community.

He said: "I think it is the balance of the programme. We are a council venue so we have a varied programme of events and that is key to the success. We are not known for any one art form. We do the whole range and that means we can appeal to a different section of the community every day of the week.

"It is about having the right type of event and the right number of events across the year - and the right number of events at the moment seems to be the more the better."

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member for business and culture, said: "Firstly I'd like to congratulate the team on their hard work – it's an achievement they should be really proud of.

"Since it opened its doors in March 2009, Theatre Severn has consistently exceeded expectations, giving a much-needed boost to the local economy which is especially important during these difficult times. I look forward to hearing about future successes."