Patrick Gracey

New report says ‘government must act’ to ease pressures on British theatres Attendances are up and average ticket prices down, even in the West End, but the sector faces mounting and unsustainable strain

🚨New report says ‘government must act’ to ease pressures on British theatres.

"If we want to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in theatre – and continue to inspire the next generation of actors, writers, and technicians – then government must act.”

www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/m...

💷 Public investment in arts and culture has fallen by 18% per person since 2010. Yet for every £1 invested, theatre returns £11 to the Treasury. A smart investment – not a subsidy.

🛠️ Many theatres are crumbling. 1 in 5 venues needs £5m+ in the next decade just to stay open. Without investment, 80% could close or become unsafe. A national strategy for theatre infrastructure is essential.

📉 Despite strong demand, 32% of theatres expect a deficit this year, and nearly 40% of venues could close without urgent capital investment. Success at the box office is no guarantee of survival.

🎟️ Theatre isn't just culture – it's economic power. For every £1 spent on a ticket, an extra £1.40 is spent in local shops, restaurants, and hotels. That’s £1.94 billion in added value each year!

British Theatre: A Global Success Story Under Threat:  - SOLT New Report Warns of Rising Costs and Shrinking Support Despite Record Audiences  The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre have today published a landmark report revealing a sector […]

🎭British theatre is one of the UK's greatest cultural and economic success stories.

🚨2024 saw record-breaking audiences, but mounting costs and declining public investment risk undermining our entire creative industries!

solt.co.uk/british-thea...

SOLT & UK Theatre welcome EU-UK Statement on Touring - SOLT Commenting on the statement published after today’s EU-UK Summit, SOLT & UK Theatre Co-CEO Claire Walker said: “Today’s UK-EU summit rightly recognises the importance of cultural exchange and touring ...

Touring is vital to UK theatre’s creative and economic success in Europe – but visas, transport rules & red tape still hold companies back.

Let’s build on today’s progress and enable frictionless touring.
solt.co.uk/solt-uk-thea...

Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa among artists urging Starmer to rethink AI copyright plans Hundreds of leading figures from UK creative industries urge prime minister not to ‘give our work away’

The creative industries are the foundation of the UK’s cultural identity and economic strength - not merely another dataset to be mined by big tech.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

West End beats Broadway in theatre revival. What's the secret? London's West End theatres are enjoying record ticket sales and drawing millions of pounds of investment as a pandemic-era tax break that will become permanent next month persuades some producers to choose Britain over Broadway.

🎉London's West End theatres are enjoying record ticket sales and drawing millions of pounds of investment as a pandemic-era tax break that will become permanent next month persuades some producers to choose Britain over Broadway.🎭
www.reuters.com/lifestyle/we...

Boosting public funding is the only way to make the arts more inclusive | Letters Letters: Readers respond to Guardian analysis on how the arts sector is still a barrier for working-class people

🚨 Theatre access is shrinking, especially in deprived areas. Without public investment, we risk shutting out working-class creatives.

That’s why SOLT & UKTheatre are campaigning for #TheatreForEveryChild - so every child can experience live performance.🎭

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Times letters: Protecting UK’s creative copyright against AI The government’s proposal to exempt Silicon Valley from adhering to creative copyright would smash a hole in the moral right of creator

🚨 The UK’s creative industries are a powerhouse of innovation, talent, and economic impact.

😱 Without proper safeguards, we risk undermining the very talent that makes the UK a world leader.

💪 Let’s back our artists and keep the UK a world leader in the arts.
www.thetimes.com/comment/lett...

Beyoncé’s tour tickets are breaking the internet — but fixing economies Tickets for the pop superstar’s Cowboy Carter tour are on general sale, and the anticipation of the economic boost from her shows is mounting

🎫 Beyoncé selling 350,000 tickets in a week? Global news.

🎭 The West End selling 350,000 tickets every week? Barely a mention.

🥳 Queen Bey is a phenomenon - but so is live theatre. Let's celebrate it accordingly!
www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...

Beverley Knight and Billy Porter to host 2025 Olivier awards Acclaimed performers Beverley Knight and Billy Porter are to host the Olivier Awards for the first time this spring

Acclaimed performers Beverley Knight and Billy Porter are to host the Olivier Awards for the first time this spring 👇 #TheatreNews #TheatreSky

‘Worse than the 1980s’ – that’s the arts sector now. It’s not a good look for a Labour government | Charlotte Higgins So many pre-election promises: but still a cultural malaise spreads from our schools to museums, galleries and theatres, says the Guardian’s chief culture writer Charlotte Higgins

🔥 The brutal yet undeniable truth about the UK arts sector.

💷 The UK’s creative industries are an economic powerhouse and a cornerstone of our national identity. It’s time for bold investment, not neglect.

🎭 Culture isn’t a luxury - it’s essential.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Six heads for cinemas in April featuring original cast The reunion performance of Six the Musical’s original cast is to be screened in cinemas on April 6 this year

The reunion performance of Six the Musical’s original cast is to be screened in cinemas this spring 👇

www.thestage.co.uk/news/six-hea...

Sometimes a letter to the Editor is the only way.

Lyn Gardner: Starmer’s searching for economic growth? The arts are a sure-fire bet The Labour government will be missing a trick if they do not understand that the arts are ready and willing to make themselves useful and simultaneously bring joy and a return on investment, says Lyn ...

Keir Starmer’s searching for economic growth? Theatre and the arts are ready and willing to do their bit, writes
@lyngardnertheatre.bsky.social 👇

www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/star...

The West End is enjoying a theatre revival. Can Broadway keep up? The trend is a decisive shift in the balance between two cities that have long vied to be the world capital of the stage

🎭 The West End is enjoying a theatre revival. Can Broadway keep up?

A brilliant deep dive by Daniel Thomas in the Financial Times explores the decisive shift in the balance of power between London and New York as contenders for the title of world capital of theatre.

on.ft.com/4iZv8wh

Find me afterwards!

Consuming arts and culture is good for health and wellbeing, research finds Engaging with arts improves quality of life, increases productivity and creates financial ‘dividend’

🚨 Consuming culture is good for your health and wellbeing – and generates £8bn a year worth of improvements in people’s quality of life and higher productivity. 🎭 = 💷

www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Smaller programmes and casts: venues warn of cutbacks in face of cost hikes Theatres across the UK are warning that cuts to casts and programming are likely as they face cost hikes because of Labour's October Budget

🚨 Budget hikes to NI and living wage leave theatres facing 'black holes,' risking smaller casts and reduced programming.🎭

💷 Investment is vital to preserve the ambition and diversity that make our theatre world-leading, and to generate growth.✨

www.thestage.co.uk/news/smaller...

🎭 THIS! Theatre and the performing arts aren’t just culture - they’re crucial to the UK economy.

From boosting local towns to powering global exports, they fuel the creative industries, attract tourism, supply talent for film/TV, and showcase “Global Britain” to the world. 🌍✨

Darcy Dixon wins Luke Westlake Scholarship 2024 Darcy Dixon has won this year's Luke Westlake Scholarship, which supports working-class creatives in their final years of training

Congratulations to Darcy Dixon on winning the Luke Westlake Scholarship, supporting working-class creatives in their final training years.

Having seen her perform at the Go Live Theatre Projects Gala, where she’s also a Trustee, I can vouch for her talent!

www.thestage.co.uk/news/darcy-d...

Jon Gilchrist: UK must see financial risk of new musicals as an investment Birmingham Hippodrome artistic director Jon Gilchrist has urged the sector to see ’financial risk as investment’ when it comes to developing new musicals

🚨 Birmingham Hippodrome AD, Jon Gilchrist, has urged the sector to see "financial risk as investment" when it comes to developing new musicals, warning that the UK risks being left behind other countries if it does not act. 🎭
@thestage.bsky.social

www.thestage.co.uk/news/jon-gil...

Stephen Joseph Theatre mulls scaled-down shows and community work after Budget Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre is mulling recruiting fewer actors, not replacing departing staff and cutting down on its community engagement work as a result of hiked costs under Labour's recen...

Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre is mulling recruiting fewer actors, not replacing departing staff and cutting down on its community engagement work as a result of hiked costs under Labour’s recent budget 👇

www.thestage.co.uk/news/news/st...

Apply to be a Olivier Awards public panellist We are looking for new panellists to help judge categories for the Olivier Awards 2026. Deadline 3 January.

Applications to be a public panellist for the Olivier Awards 2026 with Mastercard are now open! ✨

🎭 You could spend the next year watching and reviewing shows for either Theatre, Affiliate, Opera, Dance or Family panel.

Find out more:
officiallondontheatre.com/news/applica...

Good to see you there!

‘It’s an outrage’: stars join fight against cuts as Welsh arts go into meltdown Michael Sheen among big names in call for action as leading figure warns there will be little left of the sector in 10 years

🎭 The Arts Council of Wales has suffered a 40% real-terms cut in funding since 2010, despite the fact that investment in the arts is an economic and employment multiplier.

💷 For every pound spent on the arts in Wales, £2.51 is returned to its economy. 📈

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...

"We are reviewing the curriculum to put arts and music back at the heart of the national curriculum where it belongs." - Lisa Nandy MP

We welcome the Culture Secretary's commitment to arts education. Meaningful reform is urgently needed to reverse years of decline.

🚨 Additional Matinee of Oedipus exclusively for Under 30s on Thursday 19th December at 2:30pm.

All tickets priced at £10!

Visit www.soniafriedman.com/under-30s to sign up for access.