Rising Costs in the Spotlight at Community Theatre

A seaside theatre has lifted the curtain on the behind-the-scenes cost pressures hampering its on-stage successes.

Sheringham Little Theatre saw its income, including ticket sales and Hub coffee bar takings, rise by 12pc last year.

But the charity-run community arts venue also saw costs, including minimum wage and National Insurance increases, rocket even more, by 19pc, chairman Jonathan Beak told the annual general meeting.

Comparing the last summer drama season to that in 2023-24 income was up a healthy 60pc, but costs had spiralled by 150pc, which meant the theatre was budgeting for a loss.

“Our main mission is to provide access to arts and culture for the local community but we need help to keep us going, through volunteers’ time, grants and donations.

“We are looking to dip into our ‘rainy day’ reserves, but we need them as a safety net and cannot do that every year,” added Mr Beak.

“Artistically we are in great shape but financially things are very tight and we are forced to look at our costs, which we are exploring as a team.”

The theatre’s VIP president Suranne Jones, sent a message to the meeting, in which she underlined how funding a small community theatre of 160 seats was “challenging.”

But she praised the venue’s vibrancy which she experienced when recently visiting a youth production rehearsal of the Addams Family musical.

And a question and answer session with her at the theatre on December 29, which sold out in 90 minutes, will help the charity’s fundraising.

Suranne also announced that following a successful new amateur playwriting competition, which she launched two years ago – and which provided quality entries that featured in the venue’s summer season and audio plays – a new one in 2027 for young writers would see the winning entry used as a family summer show.

Theatre director Debbie Thompson said next year would build on previous successes including a Shrek Junior Easter youth musical. There would also be an amateur production of Pride and Prejudice, after two similar shows this year were successful fundraisers.

The summer season would include a similar mix to last year’s cocktail of a musical, thriller, farce, and a new comedy, with a six-strong team of professional actors playing multiple roles.

“Even though we played to 89pc full audiences in the summer, times are hard, and we are working on production costs which are challenging – but we keep trying to devise a programme that listens to what people enjoy.”