The PLAYHOUSE, Whitley Bay celebrates 1st Birthday!

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Posted on 14 September 2010

The newly refurbished PLAYHOUSE Whitley Bay has so far been visited by and has enjoyed ticket sales in the region of 90,000 in its first year playing host to 248 performances, suiting all tastes and ages, ranging from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the Christmas Pantomime Jack & the Beanstalk, to The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas and Ken Dodd Happiness Show. We are certainly on schedule to be near the 100,000th customer milestone by the end of the year, bolstered by this years’ pantomimes, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella. This is in stark contrast to the 47,000 approx. visitors to the venue per annum prior to closure.

The PLAYHOUSE has sold enough ice creams in its first year to go up St Mary’s Lighthouse 32 times!

Analysis of sales highlights strong support from within the immediate geographic area, with 60% of visitors coming from the Cullercoats, Whitley Bay and Monkseaton postcode regions. With 136 performances currently scheduled for our following year and many more to be announced the next 12 months looks to be as busy.

When SMG was selected as preferred operator by North Tyneside Council to manage the PLAYHOUSE Whitley Bay, it made a commitment to create a balance between commercial events and local user groups, recognising that this was essential to the future success of the newly refurbished venue; to create a commercially viable theatre for all whilst also encouraging local cultural talent within the North Tyneside area. This has been achieved through a triple partnership between SMG, North Tyneside Council and the local groups.

We are delighted that local amateur organisations have remained an important part of the PLAYHOUSE Whitley Bay’s programme since the re-opening of the building in September 2009, with productions of Fawlty Towers from the Whitley Bay Theatre Company and Beauty and the Beast from Tynemouth Amateur Operatic Socitey. Local user groups have so far held 52 events at the venue, with a further 8 productions on sale, such as Day 8 Productions Bugsy Malone and Whitley Bay Operatic Society’s Oliver with many more planned over the coming months.

The theatre has also become a venue for celebrations holding various Christenings and functions over the last year, placing the PLAYHOUSE Whitley Bay clearly on the map as a venue for all the community.

Quote from Ailsa Oliver, Theatre Director ‘The first year has been a busy one and we are pleased to see the venue being widely used by the local community. The successes of the first year have meant that we are now looking forward to further development of our programme of events. With additional activities for the family in Summer 2011, similar to the Open Day we held in August which attracted 3,000 people from the local community.’

North Tyneside elected mayor Linda Arkley said: "I'm delighted that it's been such a positive first year for the Playhouse.It's now a first class venue on a sound financial footing that offers high quality professional and community performances. I look forward to our continued partnership with SMG to ensure the theatre builds on its success."

New initiatives such as the PLAYHOUSE Friends scheme and Focus Groups will be announced soon.