Linda Colling: The Royalty keeps spirits high
Bums on seats are in short supply at Sunderland's Royalty Theatre which is haunted by the spectre of closure.
The desperate straits they find themselves in with the revelation this week that the writing is on the wall for this 86-year-old institution, is one that will shock many.
"Our message is a simple one – use it or lose it," announced Anna Snell, vice-chairwoman. She then went on to tell us straight in a bid to save our oldest community theatre.
Her argument came over loud and clear. But some of the productions I reckon have played a not insignificant part in its current demise.
Financially stronger than for years, it's the tailing off of audiences that has brought the Royalty to crisis point – and to its knees.
Anna went on to spell out the latest 150,000- worth of improvements – a total overhaul of the heating system and stage amplification to make things easier for the hard of hearing.
Well, Anna, I'm pleased to hear that, because presumably before this work people were feeling the chill and some struggling to even hear what was going on. A fine night out that must have been.
But, that of course, is just the tip of the iceberg as to why people aren't coming through the doors.
Audience levels hit an all-time low in the theatre's history last November with just 33 per cent of the seats sold out of a possible 1,000, for a production I've never heard of,
Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Maybe that's a large part of the problem.
Anna, no doubt frustrated says: "It's incredibly frustrating bearing in mind the enormous efforts which have been made to improve the theatre itself."
While thespians may be incredibly frustrated at putting on well-known plays and thirst after more modern productions in the belief it will attract younger audiences, the fact is we are just like audiences in the theatre's hey-day in the 70s and 80s, when it was block-booked by 600 members and still love the same old favourites – The Importance of Being Earnest, The Mousetrap, Blithe Spirit, An Inspector Calls, Dial M For Murder, The 39 Steps.
Stale? I don't think so. We don't want educating unless it's Educating Rita.
We want a bit of comfort and cheer, feel uplifted, have a good belly laugh and be entertained as in bringing the house down.
That's a timeless ticket for success and a sure-fire winner set against risky, elitist plays.
You can't beat a bit of slapstick comedy either. That's why the Royalty's panto has always been such a rip-roaring success until this year, when it was struggling to hit a 60 per cent audience.
It's a mystery as to why Old King Cole missed the mark because the pantos here are usually a sell-out and worth every penny at just over 20 quid for mam, dad and two nippers, compared to 100 at the Empire.
Let's have more panto-style performances to bring in families. Kids love theatre and they are the audiences of tomorrow.
So many stalwarts of the Royalty are dying off and others put off by unfamiliar plays they don't fancy.
And that's the dilemma. To save the curtain from coming down for all time, ditch the adventurous and give us more of the traditional.
Come September I hear there will be more conservative bills with Blithe Spirit and a farce, Funny Money.
Give people what they want – a bit of fun, song and dance. Then the Royalty will be packing 'em in and reliving it's glory days. Oh, yes they will.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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