The Roses’ Winter Chronicle 2023 Dear Friend, I hope this finds you seated by a roaring fire with a festive treat in hand. Reflecting on the past year at The Roses Theatre, it has been an incredible journey, marked by growth, innovation, and a deepening connection with our community. As we wrap up this transformative year, we are excited to share the highlights and provide a glimpse into the promising future that lies ahead. Here at The Roses, we delight in hosting a great night out! One of the most notable changes this year is the new bar and kitchen. The new design and layout have enhanced our ability to serve our guests and the space is fast becoming a social hub. In tandem we’ve created a versatile studio space and look forward to programming a diverse offer of performances, workshops, and events in 2024. These spaces are of course only made with the people who fill them, and with this in mind, this year also saw a relaunch of The Roses brand and website marking the start of a new chapter of connection and storytelling in the years to come. If you take a close look at the new logo, you’ll notice that the centre forms a house shape and we are so proud to be a home to many community groups. There’s no doubt that one of the most fulfilling aspects of the past year has been the growth of our community and youth department. We’ve seen talent blossom and confidence bloom with community groups going from strength to strength and a youth department overflowing with young people we are privileged to help on their way to great things. We’ve some incredible stories of transformation this year and look forward to many more with our plans to step into the world of creative health and wellbeing in 2024. And so, as we embark on the year ahead, on the road to The Roses’ 50th anniversary in 2025, we want to thank you for being a part of the journey. Your loyalty and enthusiasm have been instrumental in our success, and we truly cannot do it without you. Here’s to a future filled with creativity, community, and continued growth.
Grace
Grace End Development Manager
The Roses’ past, present, and future As another year comes to a finale here at The Roses, we’ve been reflecting on the journey we’ve been on in recent years and what’s coming up next.
WHAT’S HAPPENED SO FAR...
2019
The Roses took out a £100k loan, was £80k into its overdraft, and owed £140k to creditors. Rebuild of financial system• Auditorium Seats Replaced Lockdown forced a complete business restructure• Closure of Take Part department
2020 Launch of Tewkesbury Culture 2021 2022
The Roses moved to a new Box Office system, Spektrix• The Roses was one of just 11 organisations to be awarded the Cultural Revovery Fund Sustainability Fund • The loan taken out in 2019 was paid off Launch of the Roses Trading Company, the new Community department, Roses Young Creatives and a new Fundraising & Development Department, as well as a new 22-seat Studio cinema A brand refresh and new website were launched • A downstairs bar and upstairs
2023 kitchen was built, and a food offer is launched • The Roses now has £160k reserves 2024 Foundation of Gloucestershire Youth Arts Network• Commercial department launched 2025 will see The Roses’ 50th Anniversary• A Community Chorus will be established
2025 for a production of The Brensham Trilogy with the Everyman Theatre
WE EXIST FOR THE COMMUNITY Community is at the heart of everything we do at The Roses. Our vision is to bring joy through creativity and in the past year we couldn’t be more delighted with the growth of our community programme. Here are just a few of the highlights and a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Clockwise from top left: The Roses’ Choir enjoying a rehearsal: performers at an Open Mic night hosted by Tewkesbury Arts & Drama Society; knitters from the weekly group K2Togs; members of Roses Young Creatives in Matilda
THE CHALLENGES...
HOW WE COMPARE...
If we sold out ALL live shows, we would only make 68% of our running costs 85% of ticket sales gets paid to Artists, Promotors, Film Distributors, Box Office fees and banking fees The Roses needs to raise a minimum £230,000 in unrestricted income from grants, donations and sponsorship every year Grants provide limited unrestricted income as they are focused on project costs, and require the constant development of new projects
THE ROSES Box Office: 60% Fundraising: 30% NATIONAL THEATRE UK Box Office: 18% Fundraising: 43% BRISTOL OLD VIC Box Office: 46% Fundraising: 43% RSC Box Office: 52% Fundraising: 30%
THE SOLUTIONS... Self Produced Work It’s well known that, for theatres, pantomime is the lifeblood of the business, generating revenue to sustain the business through the quieter summer months. The Roses operates pantomime, and any other self produced work (watch out for more coming in 2025) through a subsidiary company, which feeds surpluses back into the charity.
Commercial Alongside The Roses’ core commercial activity hosting brilliant shows and films almost every day of the year - there are many other ways in which The Roses can increase its ancillary income. We act as ticket agents for other local venues (we are currently selling tickets for Gaia at Tewkesbury Abbey). We have numerous spaces for hire, including our recently refurbished upstairs Studio. We also make commission on goods and services provided to our customers, including the sale of Theatre Tokens - if you’re considering a gift for a theatre loving friend or family member, don’t buy these from a supermarket or High Street store, buy them from us!
Fundraising The Roses has always been supported by the wonderful community of Tewkesbury. As a charity, like many arts organisations, fundraising is a core strand of income and by making this sustainable we can continue to thrive and invest in our community department which sits at the heart of The Roses. Membership from loyal supporters like you sits front and centre of this alongside the generous donations, of all sizes, made through our website, into buckets and now at our contactless donation points in the foyer and bar – do give them a tap next time you’re in! And thank you once again for your ongoing support of The Roses, we really couldn’t do it without you.
Hospitality If you’ve been into The Roses in the last six months you won’t have been able to miss the fact that we now have a downstairs event bar as well as a new kitchen upstairs that enables us to offer pizzas and light bites before evening shows. Having this new facility not only gives us the security of another income stream, but also allows us to give our customers an even better experience.
Pantomime: it’s never quite “behind you”! A highlight of The Roses’ calendar has always been the Christmas Pantomime, ‘oh yes it has!’. But much like puppies (of which we have two in our office) pantomime is not just for Christmas. In fact, pantomime is an all year around affair and there’s so many people and props that go into it all. It all started in a faraway kingdom, a long time ago, to be precise in ancient Greece, where mime performances with gesture and movement were used to entertain. The Roman Empire further developed this art, and during the Renaissance, Italy’s Commedia dell’arte incorporated pantomime elements. In 18thcentury England, pantomime evolved into the lively and humorous “panto,” a Christmas tradition featuring fairy tale themes, cross-dressing actors, slapstick comedy, and audience participation.
FROM PAGE TO STAGE The pantomime for the following year goes on sale as the current year’s is performed. The rights and script are all agreed over a year in advance for this to happen and throughout the year the script is developed, cast auditioned, and tickets are sold. In early November the cast come together for the first time to read the script. It’s by no means a finished article as it’s the rehearsals, set and costumes when it all starts to come to life but there’s a buzz in the building on this day each year. This year was no exception, and we were delighted to welcome patrons to experience this day, meet the cast and get a sneak peek into what was to come. As we grow our patron offering, we will soon be releasing details of our 2024 event plan and would be delighted to welcome patrons to this event again next year. Another of the developments here at The Roses is the Adult Panto. It’s an adult only performance which takes the traditional elements of a pantomime and incorporates more risqué humour, innuendos, and themes that are suited for adult sensibilities creating an atmosphere geared towards adults who appreciate a mix of comedy, wit, and a touch of cheekiness.
ALL THAT SLOSH COSTS US DOSH! Pantomime is an essential part of the income to any regional theatre and we are delighted to have broken records again having sold nearly 16,000 tickets with 10 days still to go! It’s not cheap to pull together though and to give you an insight here are just a few of the costs that you might not think of... •
Chaperone’s fees to look after all the young people who are on stage came in at £7,600. • All the scenery that is hired to set the stage for the story this year totalled £14,900. • Costumes are made and hired and this year’s sewing bill came to £8,000. As well as the larger costs there’s also a myriad of invoices to be processed for everything from flat pack candelabras (that at times spill over and get built on the office floor!) to copious amounts of ice cream bought and sold which our finance department (a team of just two) put through the books. If you are interested in finding out more about how you can support the pantomime we’ve various sponsorship opportunities that run throughout the year. Please get in touch to find out more.
PRESS NIGHT The Roses Pantomime Press Night is the opportunity for press to come and see the pantomime and give their review of the show and this year to meet the cast and enjoy a canape in our new bar. If you haven’t tried our menu do make sure to book a table and join us for a night out soon. This year Red Kite Days gave us the following glowing review...
An absolutely incredible, panto with depth and inner beauty - A MUST SEE! Oh where do I begin - I was blown away by the brilliance and the contemporary twist. An incredible diverse and very talented cast (young and slightly older!). Very catchy, foot tapping music and interactive songs throughout. Brilliant humour and engagement! LOVED, LOVED the community feel, the female empowerment, the women playing guitars and belting out brilliance on stage. The comedy and humour - so simple but so effective. The audience participation was beautiful, felt so Christmassy and so right! I didn’t realise the theatre was so heavily community based which is just lush but also a charity and really relies on donations. We totally supported this afterwards. Lovely bar area, incredibly welcoming staff, VERY comfy seats, delicious food and more. What a night! We took a programme of events and will totally be back for more next year. Thank you to ALL at The Roses theatre. I was in tears at times, so lovely to be part of something beautiful, magic, diverse, empowering, wholesome, real and true.”
KIDS, CHORUS, AND SCHOOLS PERFORMANCE One of the great joys of pantomime is that it is often a child’s first experience of theatre. Since opening on the 30th October 1975 (note the date, we’ve a big birthday coming soon!), The Roses has hosted many a ‘mime. Indeed, several of the current staff team at The Roses came to watch pantomime and even performed in it back in the 90’s! This year The Roses has hosted 76 school groups across a total of 16 schools performances, reaching 5,288 children! Children aren’t just in the audience though, they’re also on the stage forming our fantastically talented chorus. This whole process kicks off in the summer when an open call out goes out inviting young people from across the county to audition. Open auditions are then held in the first weekend of September with the Director, Musical Director and Choreographer. Decisions are made and two chorus casts chosen to begin rehearsing in October culminating in the final tech and dress rehearsals before the show begins! The Roses youth and education department has gone from strength to strength in the last year. As a celebration of this the annual Festive Fundraiser will also this year feature many of the young people in the Roses Young Creatives alongside the cast and some of our staff team. Head to our website to buy your tickets and join us for this celebration!
New Shows Many theatres, including The Roses, used to launch their events in seasons, often just a month or two prior to their start. Over the years the industry has moved away from this (although we still produce our well-read season brochure) as the longer an event is on sale, the better it does (and thanks to our incredible audiences, yourselves included, we now do sell out most events here). Promoters like to get on sale the moment the ink is dry on the contract, often so they can start furiously marketing it themselves, and for this reason you can often find shows on sale over a year ahead of their visit to us. Here’s a round up of shows we have put on sale recently.
Banter
Russell Kane: HyperActive
TUE 2 APR 8PM
THU 2 MAY 8PM
Described as “The future of Folk”, Banter take English traditional music to the next level with their iconic interpretations of classic songs and dance tunes. Following in the creative footsteps of the likes of Steeleye Span and La Bottine Souriante, Nina Zella, Simon Care and Tim Walker have lovingly reinvented what defines English Folk.
Whirlwind, FitBit-breaking comedian, presenter, actor and author Russell Kane is out on the road again, setting it on fire with his unique recipe of sharp wit and “storming physical comedy” (Mail on Sunday). The brand-new tour for 2024 and 2025 comes with a safety warning: wear strong underwear - pants will be spoiled. Russell is high-energy, high-octane, and hyper-active!
Tickets
Tickets
All £17.00
All £30.50
Romeo a Juliet
Harry Styles Tribute
Very Santana
FRI 28 JUN 7PM
SAT 21 SEP 7PM
SAT 28 SEP 7.30PM
Critics’ Circle Award winning company, Ballet Cymru, present an extraordinary adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece “Romeo a Juliet”. Intense fighting, passionate duets and universal themes echo through dramatic and lyrical choreography.
The producers of Only One Direction present the electrifying Harry Styles Tribute. With stunning vocals and captivating stage presence, The Harry Styles Tribute show brings to life the awardwinning music that has seen its Golden singer shoot to stardom.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the most beautiful guitar melodies and the amazingly creative, unique, diverse, and very challenging songs of Carlos Santana. All of which are played skilfully by a band of top-quality and musically highly educated musicians.
Tickets
Tickets
Tickets
£18.50–£23.50
£20.00–£25.00
£21.00–£28.00
Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage
Cloudbusting: The Music of Kate Bush
Rich Hall: Shot From Cannons
TUE 7 MAY 8PM
SAT 1 JUN 7.30PM
WED 5 JUN 8PM
Since emerging in 2016, Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage have been defying all conventions of style, genre and compartmentalisation. A touch of ‘Americana’, yet quintessentially English. Traditional, yet contemporary, with their individual writing style.
Featuring songs from the legendary short film of the same name which Kate Bush released in 1994, this spectacular new show offers audiences a fresh ‘take’ on those tracks that first appeared on ‘The Red Shoes’ album - all delivered with breath-taking vocals from Mandy Watson and superb musicianship from the live band.
Fresh on the heels of his critically acclaimed memoir, Nailing It, Montana’s transatlantic messenger returns with new rants, knife-edge observations, thrilling musical interludes and an ever-formidable knack for laughs on the fly. You’ll pay for the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge of it.
Tickets
Tickets
Tickets
All £17.00
£21.00–£28.00
All £19.50
Talon
Swan Lake
Cinderella
SAT 5 OCT 7.30PM
FRI 1 NOV 2.30PM & 7.30PM
30 NOVEMBER - 4 JANUARY
This world class seven-piece band have, over the last quarter of a century, completely transcended the tag of ‘tribute’ and become not only revered by their peers, but dearly loved by their fans.
After last year’s successful tour, Crown Ballet® returns to the U.K. this year to enchant audiences with their delightful production of Swan Lake. Swan Lake is one of Tchaikovsky’s best known works, featuring some of ballet’s most memorable music and breath-taking dance.
It’ll roll around before you know it, so if you’ve got a favourite performance, book in now! Over 2,500 seats have already been allocated for next year’s pantomime!
Tickets
Tickets
Tickets
£24.00–£31.00
£24.00–£31.00
£12.00–£30.00
Coming Up Roses
Creativity Corner
Knitted Rose Feeling inspired to get creative or challenge yourself? How about trying your hand at knitting a rose brooch. This pattern is one of our regular knitters groups, K2Togs, favourites. You will need: • Double knitting yarn in red (or any colour you choose!) • Pair of 3mm knitting needles • Tapestry needle Measurements: A finished flower measures 8cm across. For the petals • Cast on 2 sts. • Row 1: inc in each st (4sts) • Row 2: inc 1, k to end • Row 3: inc 1, p to last st. K1. • Repeat rows 2 and 3
GAIA
until there are 10 sts • Knit 8 rows • Next row: k2tog, k6, k2tog (8sts) • Next row: k2tog, p4, k2tog • Next row: k2tog, k2, k2tog • Next row: k2tog twice • Next row: k2tog • Fasten off For the flower • Cast on 108 sts • Row 1: k all sts tbl. • Row 2: p2tog to end of row (54 sts) • Row 3: k. • Row 4: (p2tog, p4) to end of row (45 sts) • Row 5: k. • Row 6: (p2tog, p3) to end of row (36 sts). • Row 7: k. • Row 8: p2tog to end of row (18 sts) • Row 9: k.
2 - 20 February
Tickets are available from The Roses: www.rosestheatre.org/tewkesburyabbey
• Row 10: p2tog to end of row (9 sts) • Break yarn and thread through rem sts. Making up Curl the centre into a spiral and pull up the tail of yarn to gather the base, then secure it with a few stitches. Stitch petals one at a time around the centre, with the cast-off edge of each petal at the base of the flower. Attach a safety pin to the back of your rose.
www.rosestheatre.org/support-us/fundraise-for-us
KNOW ANYONE WHO MIGHT LIKE TO READ OUR QUARTERLY CHRONICLE? On the 1st April 2023 we relaunched our membership scheme and introduced a new subscriber level so for just £20 a year people can now support The Roses and receive the Chronicle. Full details on our membership scheme including details on how to sign up can be found on our website.
www.rosestheatre.org/support-us/memberships
Image © Gareth Jones
January marks a period of downtime at The Roses and a time to do some maintenance after the business of panto season, but February marks the opening of Gaia at Tewkesbury Abbey which we are delighted to be co-producing and ticketing on the Abbey’s behalf. The artwork, by renowned UK artist Luke Jerram, is 1.8 million times smaller than the real Earth, with each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture describing 18km of the Earth’s surface. By standing 211m away from the artwork, you will be able to see the Earth as it appears from the moon. Alongside Gaia will be a series of concerts and events as part of Tewkesbury Culture’s inaugural Two Rivers Converge Festival. See www.rosestheatre.org/two-rivers-converge for a full line-up.