Sell out performances mark reopening of Pateley Playhouse

The Pateley Playhouse has opened its doors to sell-out performances after three years of renovation work.

The amateur-run theatre has seen a £120,000 re-vamp, opening up its foyer and bar area and installing a disability lift in the auditorium.

The theatre re-opened this week with a Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society adaptation of ‘See How They Run’ by Philip King.

The play is a farce set during the Second World War and involves an escaped German prisoner of war, lots of vicars and lots of silliness.

The production has seen standing ovations with the 72-seat theatre full every night.

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The renovation was complex as the tiny venue is 160 years old.

Fundraising required creative ideas: the downstairs wooden floor was divided up into 110 square metres and the society asked people to pay £10 to sign their name on the floor — Hollywood style — under their square. The squares sold out.

Making a tiny, provincial theatre commercially viable isn’t easy but the society believes the renovations will help its long-term financial position.

Treasurer Keith Burton said:

“The rule of thumb is that for every £10 ticket you sell,  you should try to get a further £4 from sales on the night. The longer bar means we have a longer point of sale area and will do better business at the bar.  This week we do seem to be getting near to what we want from point of sale.

“Before covid our overheads were £8,000 a year. Since covid our insurance costs have gone up by 50% due to a fear of cancellations and all of our heating bills have gone up by half as well. We are now between £10,000 and £11,000 a year to run it. “

For the first time in years the society has had to put its tickets prices up. But it’s now confident that if it puts on three productions a year, it can make enough money to survive and have a small surplus to invest in the theatre. Improving the sound system and lighting is next on the agenda.

 

Pateley Bridge theatre to unveil £120,000 refurbishment

The Playhouse, in Pateley Bridge, is due to reopen this April after a 3-year refurbishment with a production of Phillip King’s ‘See How They Run’.

Fundraising for renovations began in 2020 with an initial aim to raise £75,000, but the eventual expenditure reached £120,000.

The theatre, which originated as a Methodist chapel over 160 years ago, required renovations to legally comply with building regulations and disability access.

Previously, it had no easy access for patrons or visitors with limited mobility.

To sort out these issues, the theatre launched multiple fundraising avenues, including the ‘Give the Playhouse A Lift’ campaign on Justgiving and a Local Lotto scheme.

1964: The building was originally a Methodist chapel

The money raised has funded a rebuild of the lower level of the auditorium – maximising the available space – as well as providing a lift for disabled audience members.

The expansion of the lower level will help people moving between the bar, foyer, and auditorium, and will ensure better ventilation.

The changes will also be in line with new covid regulations.

The new disabled lift (L) and renovated bar area (R)

Eileen Burgess, the most senior member of the Playhouse, said:

“We have long considered the need for improved disabled access and the enforced closure has given us the chance to tackle the issue.”

“It is a complex project, given the layout of our historic building, but we are determined to preserve the unique character of the Playhouse while achieving greater accessibility”.

The theatre still needs a further £20,000 to finish the work.

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The theatre’s renovation will be unveiled by Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society’s adaptation of ‘See How They Run’.

The play tells the comedic story of a paranoid spinster, who believes the wife of her beloved vicar is having an affair, and attempts to expose the infidelity.

The Society has promised attendees “a night of non-stop laughter”.

The performances will run from Monday 17 – Saturday 22 April at 7.30pm.

All tickets cost £10 and can be bought here.