Regal Trust Report Feb 2015

Regal Trust Report Feb 2015

Attendance figures

February 2013 1261 patrons

February 2014 1706 patrons

February 2015 2074 patrons

Another great month with good audience figures, a 21% increase on last year.

This was helped by some good planning and a degree of luck, with this years Oscar’s being spread out amongst a large number of films including Best Actor for Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything, which we played to over 730 people last week.

Our next Pantomime went on sale last week and we have already had strong sales.

February brought more than it’s fair share of plumbing problems, with three different leaks.  We have also identified why the auditorium is so cold when there is a west wind.  We have taken some immediate corrective actions and have other longer term solutions being costed by contractors.

We had a picture quality problem with a satellite screening.  Initial finding pointed at a local equipment fault, but now that we had had everything tested it seems the fault might have been with a lower than expected transmission signal.  We have taken the precaution of having a second satellite receiver installed and can switch from one to the other with only 8 seconds loss of signal if the need arises.  A subsequent broadcast has been received without any problems.

25,000 of our show diary leaflets are being distributed by Royal Mail this week and our latest brochure was delivered door to door on Saturday and over the weekend to much of the Tenbury area.

Regal Trust Report Jan 2015

Regal Trust Report Jan 2015

January was rather successful.  It’s impossible to say whether this was because of increased advertising, the raising of our profile thanks to the pantomime or because of a particularly strong programme.   What we do know is that we have been busy.

Attendance figures

January 2013 556 patrons

January 2014 1311 patrons

January 2015 2266 patrons

There were no live shows in January and our tech team have been busy replacing all the equipment removed for the pantomime, servicing all the lamps and installing a second set of LED par cans.

Our first live show of the year is Abbamania on the 7th February which has been sold out for many weeks.  Whilst this is great news, we are slightly concerned that pre-sales for many of the other live shows that we have planned are still very weak and it is likely that some with be cancelled as promoters move to protect their expenses.

We are putting the final details together for the launch of our Musical Theatre School which is being supported by Orchard Valley Foods.  We plan to initially start with two Saturday morning fun classes catering to different age groups.  The emphasis will be on movement and dance, but with drama and singing content added as we progress.

We will also be launching this years Christmas Pantomime during February.  The final details are still being worked out, but it will be bigger and more ambitious than last year.  We will be using the profits from last years pantomime on infrastructure improvements to make it all possible.

We recently held a very successful evening for our existing volunteers and a few potential new volunteers, updating them on our progress and detailing some of our plans for the future.  We also discussed what we do well and what we can do better.  We are still looking for new volunteers in all areas and are keen to hear from anyone who wants to get involved, no matter how little time they have available.

Letter to the Trust from Tenbury Town Council

Regal Trust Report December 2014

Regal Trust Report December 2014

December was as usual very busy.  With a flurry of Nativity plays, a Christmas Concert, the seasonal ballet from the Royal Opera House, an excellent one man drama, and of course the Christmas Pantomime.

This year, the trust embarked on a very ambitious project.  To produce the best possible show, within the limitations of the building.

Professional set builders were engaged to produce a spectacular set, with many scene changes but designed so that they could be changed by a single person, or in our case a Panda.

Luxurious costumes were hired and then expertly fitted by our own fantastic team of wardrobe ladies.

Additional lighting was installed, and special effects were designed, including a magical flying carpet designed and built by Paul Daniels.

A mixed cast of professional actors and seasoned amateurs were engaged and supported by a troupe of Babes and Junior Dancers.  Professional Musicians were hired to give the show that added professionalism.

In addition to the thirty people on stage a large support team of crew, chaperones and technicians were also assembled and our usual team of front of house volunteers were supplemented by additional local people, and sometimes visiting relatives to cater to the needs of the 2227 ticket holders.

The Trust invested a lot of time and money into the Pantomime, with the final cost likely to exceed £23,000, but the result appears to universally acclaimed as very successful from an artistic and enjoyment perspective and is also likely to make a financial contribution to the Trusts ongoing investment programme. The show also brought a lot of visitors to Tenbury, many for the first time, so will have also boosted both the local day & night time economy.

Regal Trust Report November 2014

Trust Report November 2014

November was a much busier month, with good numbers for most shows & films.

The Mistletoe Music Showcase was a great success.  We were able to use a small grant from the Philip Bates Trust, in conjunction with volunteers from the Mistletoe Association to provide support to three young bands to help them become ready to perform in public.  The show was headlined by the Misers, who gave their time & loan of their equipment for free.

The preparations for the pantomime are gathering momentum, and nearly all the tickets for nine performances have been sold.

The latest brochure arrived at the weekend and a team of volunteers distributed copies to much of Tenbury & Burford on Friday & Saturday.  Royal Mail are also distributing a show diary to 25,000 local addresses.

Regal Trust Report October 2014

Trust Report Oct 2014

October was a month of contrasts,  The month began with a very successful broadcast by Stephen Fry, then we had a number of films that barely broke even.  In the middle of the month we had the excellent live drama, Around the World in 80 Days which unfortunately also failed to break even.  The half term week was very successful with 780 people enjoying live Music, Films and finally Magic with Paul Daniels.

The ticket sales for the rest of the year appear to look reasonably healthy, but our main focus is our Pantomime Aladdin.  

The cast are hard at work rehearsing, and the technical team are ramping up to cope with the requirements of building unusual props and using far more complex technical equipment than they has so far been exposed too.

We have already sold 30% of the tickets.  This is good, but we all need to keep up the effort of promoting the show, as bringing people into town in the Christmas season also has a tremendous effect on the whole town's vitality and viability.

Over the next few weeks 30,000 leaflets advertising the pantomime will be distributed by Royal Mail in a wide area around the town and hopefully this will encourage even more people to come and give us a try.

The new mid-stage curtains have now arrived and were used for the first time for the Paul Daniel’s show.  The new LED lighting has also been installed to replace the somewhat unreliable and expensive to run Par Cans.  The replacement cinema screen is due to be installed later this month.  

Regal Trust Report September 2014

In September the Trust screened 16 sessions of film, 6 broadcast events and staged 3 live shows.  Audience attendance was rather poor during the month  5 film sessions played to audiences of less than 10 and 5 more between 11 & 20.  Even the broadcast shows failed to inspire more than an average of 50 people.   This trend seems to have been repeated across the country, but we may have been additionally hit by the exceptionally good weather and September being a favourite holiday month for our core demographic.

On a brighter subject, our pantomime has started rehearsals and we have an exceptionally talented cast including a number of professional actors.

We have now completed the selection of the dance troupe and babes and this event is now being widely and excitedly anticipated especially in some local schools.

We have now completed the installation of the proximity tag access control system for the front of the Regal, but have a number of ongoing or outstanding maintenance jobs.

1. The display screen in the foyer has a failed VGA sender.  It is likely that the cost of replacing this will be uneconomic so we will likely be looking for an alternate solution.
2. One of the emergency lights has failed it’s test and will be replaced.
3. The kitchen range has a fault on one of it’s burners.  This will be attended to when it is next inspected.
4. The automatic sensor in the dressing room has failed and needs to be replaced.
5. There is a leak in the central heating system.  This is awaiting parts.
6. The central heating system pressurisation system is faulty and is being investigated.
7. The guttering system is going to be altered (under the original renovation contract)
8. The issue with the switching of the main auditorium lighting is still ongoing.

We have some exciting events now on sales, including the Mistletoe Music showcase which will see three upcoming junior bands performing before the headline act the Misers take to the stage. As part of the package, & with help from a grant from Philip Bates Trust & professional assistance we are supporting the band's with photography, graphic design and advice on PR & stage presentation.

This year's Poppy Concert includes an appearance by the Military Wives Choir.

The Fabulous Ceri Dupree has been booked to perform the Mayor's Charity Concert which will be a night to remember.

We also have Basil Brush, appearing live on stage early next year.