THEATRE ROYAL BURY ST EDMUNDS
ANNUAL REPORT
APRIL 2023 - MARCH
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 2023
(Neil Baxter Photography)
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
WELCOME
This continues to be a period of recovery from the impact of the pandemic as we seek to build back audiences and financial reserves to pre-pandemic levels.
This was the first year of our three-year Arts Council England NPO grant, which has enabled us to invest additional resources into our organisation, with the vast majority of this focussed on our Creative Learning programme.
This year lays the groundwork for growth in 2024/25. We produced three in-house productions this year, in order to create space for development work on future productions. This will see us deliver five in-house productions and a new community participation festival in 2024/25. Having said this, we attracted 72,899 audiences this year, a 12% increase on last year, demonstrating continued success in attracting new audiences and enticing back lapsed audiences.
At the end of this year we launched a brand-new website, improving customers’ booking experience, better communicating the work of the charity and building a platform for further audience growth next year. This year also saw a new partnership with Job Centre Plus, providing free theatre tickets to families of job seekers.
We were very proud that Theatre Royal’s work throughout our region was recognised as we were awarded the Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award at this year’s West Suffolk Business Awards.
The financial year 2023/24 has seen our great Theatre continue to recover from the effects of the Covid pandemic. I am delighted to say that confidence has returned and 2023/24 saw audience numbers increase from the previous year. Much of this increase was down to the success of our in-house productions. The panto in particular attracted record numbers.
I would like to stress that Theatre Royal is a lot more than the productions that we all see on stage, whether these be own productions or visiting companies. Our Creative Learning department has gone from strength to strength. Much of this broader community activity has been made possible by our Arts Council NPO funding. This year was the first of the three year’s funding under the programme which has financed specific elements of our work and enabled us to strengthen the Creative Learning Team.
Apart from Arts Council it takes many other organisations and individuals to make the work of Theatre Royal possible. Suffolk County Council, West Suffolk Council and Bury St Edmunds Town Council has each continued its financial support despite themselves being under strong funding constraints. Our fantastic sponsors, patrons and friends contribute hugely while our loyal band of volunteer stewards do sterling work in guiding audience members and keeping them safe. We are blessed with our skilled and dedicated staff, whose hard work is crucial to the success of the enterprise, so many thanks to them all. I would like to thank my fellow trustees for their support and counsel over the year. It has been a pleasure to act as their Chair.
Owen Calvert-Lyons, Artistic Director & CEO Roger Quince, Chairman of The Board
THE YEAR IN NUMBERS
72,899 TICKETS SOLD
104 PRODUCTIONS*
85 SCHOOLS ENGAGED
12,316 CREATIVE LEARNING PARTICIPANTS
81 2023/2024 NPS SCORE 39% PERCENTAGE OF
482 PERFORMANCES*
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
Written
by
FRANK L BAUM
Adapted by MIKE AKERS
Co-directed by OWEN CALVERT-LYONS and DAVID WHITNEY
3,835 TICKETS SOLD 80 NPS SCORE
Theatre Royal’s legendary community production features a professional cast of five actors supporting a wider cast of local adults and young people. The project offers a transformative creative experience for community participants and a unique insight into potential careers in a range of creative disciplines.
Mike Akers’ new adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s much-loved story relocated the action from Kansas to Suffolk (Stowmarket to be precise). The story took our audiences on a magical adventure to another world and reminded us that there’s no place like home.
Our cast featured Nicola Bryan (Aunt Em and West Witch), Michael Lambourne (Uncle Henry and Oz), Darcy Manning (Dorothy), Ronan Quiniou (Toto) and Daniel Walford (Tinman) supporting a community company of two adults and 14 young people aged 10-19.
“The Wonderful Wizard of Ozisanothertriumphfor theTheatreRoyal,once againseamlesslyblending theprofessionalsalongside communitycastmembers inawonderfullycaptivating production.”
East Anglian Theatre Podcast
This ambitious production, designed by Morgan Brind, featured a revolving stage which added an extra dimension to Sundeep Saini’s effervescent choreography. The production included original songs and music by David Lewington.
THE COMMISSIONING CIRCLE
This adaptation was funded by our Commissioning Circle. This programme supports the theatre’s artistic programme by expanding its capacity to commission new plays. This is a unique and exciting experience for theatre lovers, literary enthusiasts or business owners and entrepreneurs to commission a play and accompany it on its journey from ‘page to stage’.
A small number of Circle Members (around 5) fund the cost of commissioning a playwright to write a new play for Theatre Royal’s stage. As the commissioners of the play, Circle Members will play a significant part in enabling the theatre to produce an artistically excellent and creatively ambitious production each year.
“Lastevening’sperformancewastrulymagical.Wecameaway totallyenchantedbyyoursuperbcreation,andcannotwait tofindatleastonemoreopportunitytobetransportedagain tothelandofOz. Theplayresonatesonsomanylevelsand deservesthewidestpossibleaudience.MikeAkershasgivenus amasterpieceanddeservesourdeepestgratitude. Weareboth soproudtobeinvolvedandwilltreasureallthebeautifulcopies ofthescriptyouhavegivenus.”
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Commissioning Circle Member
SNOW WHITE
Written
by CHRIS
HANNON
Directed by OWEN CALVERT-LYONS
25,695 TICKETS SOLD
Our legendary in-house pantomime, with original script, features 16 local children and this year attracted over 25,000 audience members –our best-selling pantomime ever. Delighting generations of audiences, Snow White opened on 24th November.
We welcomed back audience favourites Craig Painting (Dusty Crevice) and Beth Tuckey (Queen Lucretia), alongside newcomers Peter Baker (Grumble), Lizzie Buckingham (Corky The Corgi), Philippa Carson (Gladys), Lara Lewis (Snow White) and Zachary Pang (Sir Nicholas of Norwich). This year we were honoured when our Life Patron, Dame Judi Dench, agreed to make her pantomime debut and join our pantomime cast as the voice of The Magic Mirror!
78 NPS SCORE
Winner of the UK Pantomime Award for Best Costume and nominated for Best Pantomime (under 500 seats), this joyfilled, all-action adventure, took inspiration from a young Queen Elizabeth II - a young woman discovering her place in the world, wanting to make positive change.
“It’smyideaofheaven,playing apartinpantomimeand neverhavingtoleavehome! Iamthrilledtobemakingmy pantomimedebutinTheatre RoyalBuryStEdmunds’Snow White,whoknows…nextyear theymightmakemeaDame!”
Dame Judi Dench, The Voice of The Magic Mirror in Snow White
YOUTH THEATRE
Youth Theatre at Theatre Royal is for anyone with an interest in theatre, writing, creating, or simply if you want to make new friends. Over 100 young people take part in our youth theatre workshops each week. Our sessions run on Mon-Sat during term time and give young people aged 8-22 (Juniors, Seniors and Young Company) the chance to experience the power of performance, building confidence and life skills along the way.
Every year, our Youth Theatre members perform in a professionally produced production. This year we staged Neil Duffield’s SmallFry, Chris Bush’s TheChangingRoom and our 16-22 young company performed Tuesday by Alison Carr, total audience numbers 549.
theyearlyperformances,it’s agreatenvironmentandthe peoplethatdoitandrunitare justamazinganditsveryfunto beapartof”
Youth Theatre Participant
SENsory Youth Theatre is for young people who identify as learning disabled, neurodivergent, as having SEN, or other social, emotional and mental health needs. This work gives young people the opportunity to participate in creative play within a fun, friendly and accessible environment.
“It’shelpedhimtobecome more sociable with some children that he hasn’t met before so he’s met some new friendsandit’ssomethingthat hereallyenjoys,soobviously he’scomingandhe’sfeeling goodabouthimself.”
“Myfavouritepartaboutbeing partoftheyouththeatreis
Parent of SENsory Youth Theatre Participant SENSORY YOUTH THEATRE TRAILER YOUTH THEATRE TRAILER
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
TINY PLAYS, BIG IDEAS
Tiny Plays, BIG IDEAS sends playwrights into Suffolk primary schools, teaching children to write their first play. A selection are performed by professional actors on Theatre Royal stage. Children learn about plot, character, storytelling, drafting, and staging in two one-hour workshops. Teachers attend a 2-hour CPD session exploring project aims and providing tools for continued classroom work.
This year, 380 pupils from 12 West Suffolk primary schools learned to write their first play. The project was a huge success again this year, empowering children to express themselves creatively. The work emphasizes each child’s unique perspective and storytelling ability. No themes or creativity restrictions are imposed, allowing children to tell their stories.
The project supports demographics in high need areas, promoting high-quality culture. It celebrates diverse influences and knowledge in Suffolk communities. It brings live performances to rural West Suffolk schools, breaking geographic, economic, and social barriers. CPD sessions link schools and artists, ensuring cultural education access. Participants are directed to our participatory programmes. The project promotes future familybased arts and cultural events, increasing awareness in networks that might not attend otherwise.
Playwrights and facilitators are East Anglia-based, with extensive experience. Three of four professional actors are also from East Anglia.
The diverse creative team engages the Global Majority, Deaf, disabled, neuro-diverse, and socio-economically affected individuals.
After the success of this and our other Creative Learning work and projects, Theatre Royal continues to be a leader in the field of Creative Learning. The project allows us to build and deepen relationships with local primary schools, including those in low cultural engagement areas and to develop staff skills. Participants are directed to other Theatre Royal activities, increasing creative team diversity. Relationships with freelance playwrights and actors are strengthened. Schools benefit from innovative projects, helping them to understand the value of creativity. The project provides schools with life-changing experiences that inspire and engage children.
“Thewholeprogrammewasexcellentfromthe organisationoftheplaywrightingworkshops throughtheoutstandingperformances.Ourpupils thoroughlyenjoyedtheirworkshopsandvisitto thetheatretoseetheirplayscometolife!Pupils wereengagedwiththeirlearning,usingtheskills andcreativityduringtheirfollowinglessons.”
Teacher Participant
“Lots of our children had never been to the theatre beforethistrip.”
Teacher Participant
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
DOORSTEP THEATRE FESTIVAL
Growing year on year, the Doorstep Theatre Festival is a touring rural arts festival designed to make high-quality arts accessible to young people across Suffolk. This is one of our flagship programmes.
Doorstep provides schools with the opportunity to host a performance from leading theatre companies making amazing work for young people. Following the performance, schools have the option to take part in enrichment workshops led by Theatre Royal’s Creative Learning Team. We offer this programme at a heavily subsidised rate to schools. Teachers are invited to a CPD session to explore how the themes within the performances and workshops can be carried into the classroom.
“Atrulyfantasticperformance.Thechildren werecaptivatedandfullyengaged.”
Teacher, Crawfords Primary School
This year we programmed two shows, one for EYFS and KS1; TheTapDancingMermaid by Tessa Bide Productions, and KS2 production of The ‘Not So’ Grimm Twins by Wrongsemble. Both productions were suitable for SEN.
HEADLINE NUMBERS
The programme engaged 1,189 young people with TheTapDancingMermaid and 1,367 young people with The ‘Not So’ Grimm Twins, totalling 2,556 participants. We worked with 18 schools across Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Newmarket, Thetford, Sudbury, Haverhill and Ipswich. Our team of 5 facilitators delivered 59 workshops in total. 402 young people engaged with TheTapDancing Mermaid workshops and 543 engaged with The ‘Not So’ Grimm Twins workshops, totalling 945.
3,501
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
THEATRE ROYAL CHRISTMAS CABIN
In 2022, in partnership with the arc shopping centre and with support from Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Theatre Royal presented a show aimed directly at under-7s. In the absence of the town’s Christmas Fayre and following on from the ‘Bury Santa’ experience, we staged a show in the middle of the town at Christmas.
Now in its second year, the Christmas Cabin, in the centre of Charter Square was, again, a beautifully designed and decorated Nordic log cabin with enhanced decoration and lighting for 2023. The Cabin hosted performances of the short show, ‘Where’sSanta’sHat?’, during which children got to meet Santa (played by Greg Hanson) and Älva the Elf (played by Grace Wellfare). Written by Hatty Ashton and designed by Becca Gibbs, both of whom are based in Suffolk.
This year, the audience found Älva and Santa back in Santa’s living room, but the house was in disarray. Though cosy and Christmassy, things were a bit awry. The Christmas tree had fallen over. There were wonky pictures
over the fire-place and Santa had lost his magic hat and therefore, couldn’t deliver his presents without the help of Älva, a Mouse and the children in the audience. Intimate performances ran throughout the day for children aged 2-7 from 16th November – 24th December.
This was a hugely popular part of Bury St Edmunds’ Christmas offer. Support from Bury Town Council, enabled us to keep tickets at an affordable level of £5 and free for those on Universal Credit, who may have otherwise been unable to enjoy this experience. 45% of Christmas Cabin audiences were new to Theatre Royal, the highest percentage of any production this year, making this a vital part of our audience development strategy.
“I wouldliketosayamassivethankyouto theTheatreRoyalforthefreeperformances forrecipientsofuniversalcredit.” Audience Feedback
3,099
86
333
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
HOW WE ARE FUNDED
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds is a Registered Charity (Charity Number 242977).
We receive crucial public authority funding from Suffolk County Council and West Suffolk Council. In Spring 2023, we proudly re-joined Arts Council England’s National Portfolio – recognising that our theatre plays a key role in the cultural life of our region.
In 2023-24:
• 8% of our income came from our core grants
• 7% of our income came from project fundraising (Trusts and Foundations)
• 16.5% of our income came from private sector support through fundraising from donations and legacies, sponsorship, memberships, individual giving and fundraising events.
• 54% came from our charitable activities –Theatre Royal’s entire programme (all events, our Creative Learning programme, our heritage programme, our own productions and support for our local amateur groups)
• 6% came from our other trading activities
• Less than 0.5% came from investments
• 8% came from other income
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
FUNDRAISING INCOME
£80,206 FUNDRAISING EVENTS
£4,750 TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS (CORE)
£113,193 TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS (PROJECT)
£60,275 SPONSORSHIP
£103,285 INDIVIDUAL GIVING
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
SUPPORTERS
Snow White, 2023/24
(Tom Soper Photography)
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Annual Report Apr 2023 - Mar 2024
SUPPORTERS
Life Patrons & Ambassadors
LIFE PATRONS: Dame Judi Dench DBE, Mr Timothy West CBE, Sir Jeremy Isaacs, Mrs Judith Shallow DL, Mr Colin Blumenau, Mrs Patricia Thompson CBE
AMBASSADOR: Mrs Gina Long MBE
Patrons & Major Donors
Joan Abbs, Matthew Abercrombie, Nancy Ackland-Lang, George Agnew and Adrian White, Jennifer and Nicholas Antill, Alix and Robert Ashton, Kit and Daria Aspen, The Association Management Company, Gary Avis MBE, Robert and Sally Baxter, Bob and Sally Beckett, Countess Helen Benckendorff, Christopher Biggins, Christine Bird, Ben and Katie Birrell, Sarah Birrell, Derek Blake MBE and Valerie Blake, Stephen and Stephanie Bourne, Joy Bowes, Gyles Brandreth, Marie Brown and in memory of Tony Brown, Mary Burr, Tonya Callihan, William and Lynn Cardale, Laura Carmichael, Sir Geoffrey and Lady Cass, Gordon Cawthorne MBE and in memory of Judith Cawthorne, Richard Chaplin, Christine Clark, Marcus and Sophie Codrington-Fernandez, Sian Couture, Louise Cramp, The Croft Family, Rev. David Crofts, Jane and Michael Crowe, Yvonne Curtis, Lady Mary Damerell, Piers Day, Nicholas Denyer, Nicki Dixon, Michelle Dockery, Ian and Alison Duncan, Tony and Celia Earl, Caitlin Evans, The Fabulous Fascia Co Ltd, Andrew Flatt, Emma Fisher, Vivien Gainsborough Foot, Fenella Ford, Keith and Mary Gallois, Sarah George, Jayne Gittus, Philip Glenister, Robert Glenister, Judith Grandi, Sheena Griffiths, Bryan Hamilton, Michael and Caren Harrington Spier, Nigel Havers, David and Gillian Hodge, Stephen Hubner, Sam Hughan, John Meers and Jo Holden, Debbie Hudd and in memory of Roy Hudd OBE, Eric and Hazel Humphreys, Karen and Antony Hurden, Sir Derek Jacobi CBE, Peter Jackson CBE and in memory of Ann Jackson, Alex Jennings, Christina Johnston, Lesley Joseph, Jim and Carol Keohane, Fiona Langley, Nicholas Law and Susan Tanis, Malcolm Leith and Amanda Wearing, Barry Lingwood, Bryan and Emma Littlefair, Andrew Long and Gina Long MBE, Karl and Annette Ludvigsen, Janet Martin, John McCarthy CBE, Sir Ian McKellen CH CBE, John Meers and Jo Holden, Julie Merrick, Nic and Kat Metcalfe, Gillian Morgan, Martin and Sylvia Moss, David and Pauline Mulley, Marguerite Nice, John and Maureen Orange, Irene and David Overman, Riccardo and Michaela Parfitt, Jeffrey Parker, Nicholas Pearson OBE and Fiona Pearson, Mark Pendlington DL, Heather Phillips, Steve Pickles, Mary Porch, Clare Presland, Libby Purves OBE, Roger and Thelma Quince, Sue Rawlinson, Michael Redgrave, Mike and Kate Redmond, Jo St Clair Roberts, Susan Roberts, In Memory of Struan Robertson, Paul Romaine, Nic Rumsey, Michael and Margaret Rustin, Prunella Scales CBE, Sue Scrivener, John Sergeant, Michael Shallow and Judith Shallow DL, Alice Sheepshanks, Graham Showell, John Simpson CBE, Charles and Suzanne Simpson, Sue and Dick Soper, Simon Spence KC, Jo Stark, Sha Starr, Christian and Susan Stenderup, Richard and the late Heulwen Stewart, Steven and Kimonie Stroud, Meriel Sykes, David Taylor, Nick and Rosemary Thomson, Christopher Truncellito Fiona Unwin, Sir Terry Waite CBE, Julia Wakelam, Christine Webber, Peter Wenban and Sarah Wenban CBE, Timothy West CBE, Sam West, Deborah Williams, In memory of Gabrielle Woodward, The Association Management Company, Theatre Royal Friends Committee and the generous donors of The Show Will Go On! – Theatre Royal’s Reopening Appeal (2020).
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 2023 (Neil Baxter Photography)
Edmunds
THE TEAM
19 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS
50 PART-TIME (INCL. CASUAL STAFF)
142 FREELANCERS
118 VOLUNTEERS
THE BOARD
10 BOARD MEMBERS
Roger Quince, Emma Fisher, Bryan Littlefair, Liz Michie, Jo Howlett, Sara Whybrew, Matthew Piccaver, Graeme Kirk, Marcus Codrington-Fernandez & Bal Kaur Howard
Snow White,
2023/24
(Tom Soper Photography)
Snow White, 2023/24 (Tony Kelly)