Cuts fear darkens theatre success

Harrogate Theatre has recorded its most successful year ever after staging a hugely-varied programme of productions which has attracted record audiences from across North Yorkshire, as well as cities including Leeds and Bradford.

Figures for the last financial year have just been released by the theatre and revealed it generated more than 6.2m for the local economy – a 50 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

However, senior managers say any cuts in the historic theatre's grants would have a major effect on its events programme, which would cause a fall in the economic benefits it provides.

The theatre, which dates from the turn of the 20th century, is given about 150,000 in funding each year from the Arts Council, North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council.

But fears are growing that even a small reduction in the funding could be catastrophic for the theatre's events and outreach education projects as the Government looks to rein in public spending.

Harrogate Theatre's communications manager, Kevin Jamieson, said: "Every arts organisation in the country is having to examine what will happen if funding is reduced or taken away.

"If a worst-case scenario does emerge, then it will be extremely difficult to put on the programme of events which we have been responsible for in the past year to 18 months. The diversity of the events has been one of the main reasons why we have achieved such major successes.

"We may provide a multi-million pound benefit to the local economy, but we certainly do not operate off multi-million pound budgets."

The review of the last financial year has shown that the theatre had the highest-yet audience; 98,000 people attended 360 live events, which represented an increase of 36 per cent on the previous 12 months.

The flourishing artistic programme saw all the productions play to an average of 71 per cent full houses, after the theatre attracted big names including Eddie Izzard, Paul Merton and Julian Clary.

The success of the inaugural comedy festival in the autumn will see the event staged again this year. More than 40 acts will perform over 15 days in October.

Other productions which helped to attract a wider audience for the theatre included the only Yorkshire date for Tamasha Theatre's Bollywood reworking of Emily Bront's classic novel, Wuthering Heights.

The theatre's figures also revealed that there was a 34 per cent rise in the number of people from the Harrogate district who attended events, while patrons from Leeds and York postcodes rose by 54 and 41 per cent respectively.

Money taken through the theatre's box office passed the 1.1m mark for the first time in the venue's history.

The latest phase of a three-year revamp costing 1.8m to renovate the theatre's auditorium, stairwells and bar areas was completed in September, and work is to begin next month on an 250,000 overhaul backstage.

Harrogate Theatre's chairman, Jim Clark, said: "Harrogate Theatre has completed a very successful year against the backdrop of very difficult times for the country.

"We face difficult times ahead in light of the national financial landscape, but we face it with optimism and we take seriously our stewardship of this jewel in Harrogate's crown."

Harrogate Theatre opened on January 11, 1900, with a charity gala in aid of British soldiers fighting the Boer War in South Africa.