Theatre box office takes in £2m
Monday 22nd February 2010, 11:30AM GMT.
Shrewsbury’s £28 million Theatre Severn took £2 million in its first year with more than 120,000 tickets sold for a wide variety of performances, figures released today showed.
Bosses of at the theatre, which celebrates its first birthday today, said it had been a “hugely successful” year.
Staff said 123,760 tickets had been sold for performances, which have included appearances by the likes of musician James Morrison and comedian Michael McIntyre.
The first season went on sale two months before the theatre opened and by the beginning of 2009 the first 20 shows were sold out with extra dates being arranged where possible, bosses said.
Now in its third season, the theatre continues to sell out or reach near capacity on many shows.
The theatre has staged about 270 performances and has welcomed many hundreds of performers.
Bosses said the theatre’s first pantomime Peter Pan saw 31 of the 47 shows sold out by the end of its first performance week and a capacity figure hovering around the 97 per cent mark.
Peter Nicholson, theatre manager, said the theatre had taken £2 million in the first year.
He said: “The reaction and support for Theatre Severn in its first year has been astonishing and beyond expectation. Our hope is to continue the diverse programming policy whilst maintaining the highest quality.
“It really has become a venue that both Shrewsbury and Shropshire can be proud of.”
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Congratulations to everyone at Theatre Severn for delivering a fabulous result in its first year of operation. We reckon to have previously been to the Music Hall about once a year and by comparison our family has been to TS 9 times so far with 4 more shows to see this season. I am sure that there are others who could beat that easily. TS is a first class facility, the programme has been superb. Many patrons will have learned the lesson that booking early is a must! Thank you.
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They would of took even more money had they any decent live bands on..
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So when was Michael McIntyre on?…..think youve got confused.
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Think your getting confused with Jason Manford and Michael McIntyre.
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I think not. I’ve just checked with the theatre and they confirm he was there last May.
Andrew Owen
shropshirestar.com
http://www.theatresevern.co.uk/WhatsOn_focus.asp?ShowId=397&sC=page10
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Well done Theatre Severn, it’s one in the eye for all the whinging doom mongers!
PS Michael McIntyre was there, saw him with my own eyes – you snooze, you lose!
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only another 14 years then it will have paid for itself then!
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I’m with Mr Magoo – the lack of live bands is really disappointing and contributes to a huge demographic being missed out programming wise.
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Not quite sure where Mr Magoo is coming from? I saw James Morrison last year at Theatre Severn who was fantastic, and have tickets booked for both Newton Faulkner tomorrow and The Proclaimers in July. Great artists and a great venue!
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This is misleading! What was the net cost of providing the service?!!!!!!
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I think he/I want more live bands on a more regular basis.
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Truth Truth what where you thinking??? If you want gig after gig after gig maybe you need to look at a music venue not a theatre that has to appeal to all different age groups. And lets be honest Shrewsbury’s music venue history is not that great what with the Great “Buttermarket” etc if you want a music venue then ask for one but you cant blame a theatre that’s is there to host a wide range of lets face it shows! (Drama, Dance, Music, Comedy and lectures) all of which are meet. Well done Theatre Severn even with these hard times £2m Is great! Many more Years to come. Well Done all, Proved all them moaning people put in there place!!!
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I join in with most people in congratulating theatre Severn in taking £2 million in its first year. Thaanks must also go to the people of Shropshire and surrounding areas who have supported the theatre so well, which only goes to show that this facility was so very much needed in the town.
My only caveat is that now the theatere has set itself such a high level of entertainment, then that level must never be allowed to drop. It must at least maintain that high standard ,at least, or better still improve(which it can do presumably if it has done so well), or beware of the consequences!!
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Barry, perhaps you shoud brush up on the fundamentals of economics befoore making such sweeping grand statements without being armed with all the facts…
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Barry, when the theatre was being planned and eventually funded, a large part of their presentation was to create a venue capable of staging live bands. There have been a few bands but nowhere near the amount that I personally think Shrewsbury could entertain – we all agree that there is a dearth of live music venues in Shrewsbury so why not provide another option at the theatre? The programming director agreed with me when I put this to him last year but little has changed. I feel that there is a gaping void in Shrewsbury where live music is concerned and that we have a venue entirely capable of filling that void yet it is not being utilised. I find that very disappointing.
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I can see both sides of the argument here but I do feel the past and future line ups for the theatre are what I would describe as very Shrewsbury and I think that is what Mr Magoo is getting at really. It would be nice if we could live a little more dangerously and encourage some more edgy musical acts in addition to an hour an a halfs foot tapping with mum and dad to James Morrison.
There is certainly the demand in the town for these edgier acts, sometimes you cant move for folk on the Shrew to Wolves train in an evening if something half decent is on at the Civic. Dont let them have our money, keep it in the town !
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James Morrison ,Newton Faulkner and The Proclaimers in July. ( music for the hard of hearing then)
It really is a shame that this venue cant be used to atract a wider variety of musical talent not just the middle of the road radio pap that pretends to be music . x factor anyone ?
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TruthTruth/Mr Magoo/KH. You are right to say that there is now no decent ‘large’ music venue in Shrewsbury, but the fact that the old Buttermarket was poorly supported and closed partly due to ‘poor trading’ would suggest that there may not be quite as big a market out there as he and other people may think there is? Even if you think the Theatre’s choice of artists is ‘safe’ & ‘radio pap’ (and No KH, there is nothing wrong with my hearing, thank you!), at the end of the day, the Theatre has pay it’s way (or you’d all be moaning about that as well!) and there is no doubt that each of these artists were, and will be complete sell-outs! If you want to hear and see good Live and particularly local bands, there are plenty of pubs, venues and festivals around the town and surrounding regions that provide excellent Live music on a regular basis. Two monthly publications, ‘The Broadsheep’ and ’31 Days’ are both invaluble tools and well worth checking out, whatever your musical tastes.
Barry. I agree, the Theatre is a multi-purpose venue and has to appeal to all ages ranges and tastes, and in this respect they are doing an excellent job, but I suspect they are never going to be able to please everyone. In the past I have heard and read criticism of the venue for not having enough Country & Western Music, Jazz, Shakespeare plays, ‘serious drama’ or even Wrestling! None of these are to my taste, but I can see how difficult it must be for the programmers to get the balance right, but good luck to them and I for one, will be looking forward to attending more shows in the coming years.
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The sort of events we will continue to get will reflect the people who can pay the admission prices and demographics of Shrewsbury dictate that will be older people, or young families.
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re: Orwellanimal
I was referring to a gap in the market that has not been filled since the closure/ development of the Music Hall. Whilst there has been a selection of music I feel that they are playing it safe.
Despite the broken promises given by the Operations Team, I will continue to press for alternative music.
Albeit, still a good start to the TS for a solid start…
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Again, I’m with Mr Magoo on this. Simply put, I have money in my pocket that I spend watching gigs elsewhere in the country paying anywhere up to £60 per person a time. Why can’t Theatre Severn put on some alternative gigs that would keep my money in Shrewsbury? I appreciate that the majority of theatre go-ers are older but surely there is room for some more diversity?
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Orwellanimal you are spot on. People moan about how much the theatre costs and that it will never bring in the customers, and yet according to these sales figures business is booming. If they were to put on these “edgy” shows, which by definition do not appeal to the mainstream majority, then it is likely they would not sell out and we would have yet another argument about how the theatre is failing to meet the needs of the locals and haemorrhaging money.
Every point made against the theatre seems to be a contradiction.
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I am still waiting for band names to be mentioned?
After seeing the post about me not doing my research and “not being armed with all the facts” here is my reply.
Truth Truth if you are indeed spending £60 per Person to see a gig you must be seeing some pretty big bands. The likes that you get in an arena say the LG arena in Birmingham that holds a capacity of 14500, Well I’m am sorry to disappoint you but Shrewsbury will never get these bands unless its in the quarry and (people not moan about the noise). Remember we are only a 45 mins drive from Birmingham!! If the Theatre has taken £2Million then it must be doing something right.
Mr Magoo states in post number #20
“I was referring to a gap in the market that has not been filled since the closure of the Music Hall.”
This is rubbish! What bands have there been at the music hall that have not been at Theatre Severn?? I look at the Music Hall and all it really had was tribute bands. The music that you go on about is the music seen in “the Civic Wolverhampton” that has a capacity of over 3,000 or the O2 Academy Birmingham once again capacity of 3100 ish. Now lets see, the theatre holds 500 standing.
You tell me to learn the facts when really you should do your own research!
Can you both not see that taking £2 million is a great achievement and one that should be praised??
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it makes a loss with a huge public subsidy and only caters for rich and elderly what a waste of money this ugly concrete building is
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