Shanklin Theatre’s Managing Director
Vic Farrow talks to Tom Stroud
Shanklin Theatre is run independently and mainly by volunteers. The Friends of Shanklin Theatre were given licence to occupy in 2010 and the IW Council handed over the keys to the 615 seat theatre last year.
Let’s start at the beginning – who is Shanklin Theatre?
Good question! It’s run officially by the Trust from an ownership point of view but it’s run on a day to day basis by Shanklin Theatre Limited. We have three and a half paid positions, that’s two theatre managers and a technician and stage manager. The rest of us, including myself are volunteers. We’ve got around 80 regular volunteers, covering everything from running the bar, ushering, maintenance and cleaning.
In 2009 it looked like the theatre was going to become a block of flats. You obviously believed that there was still a viable business here. What has changed in 2014?
Councils tend to run theatres as they would any other business. I have a free hand now to make the day-to-day decisions. I try to control expenses because we mustn’t get carried away. I’m the booking manager but there is a massive risk. I used to be an insurance underwriter and in this role I still have to calculate the risk of booking an act. We have shows coming up that might cost the theatre some money. We have had losers but that’s the nature of the business – otherwise everybody would be doing it! The buzz is incredible. We’ve just confirmed Al Murray for a return booking and the lift is incredible. That sort of thing is becoming a weekly event.
How is business?
Last year was very good and hopefully we’ll turn in a profit. Within that we’ve been able to carry out quite a bit of work. We’ve redecorated the foyer and we’ve upgraded equipment.
So how do the finances work with booking acts?
The terms vary. Sometimes we pay a fee but the majority of our acts are on a percentage split. Big acts can mean big decisions because you have to put the guaranteed money up front. For us it was a no-brainer to pay the fee upfront for Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings for example. For others you do hope that you’re going to sell 500 seats to cover the booking. The ticket price is the price you price and we don’t charge booking or restoration fees. I’m adamant about that and we are in the minority. Some people think they can return tickets but the truth is, it isn’t our money to give back. We have the same policy as other mainland theatres and tickets are generally non-refundable. From a financial point of view we’ve managed to do it all without any loans, or grants. Apart from donations we have to rely solely on the income produced from the shows and the knock on sales of ice cream, sweets and the bar. We rely on volunteers to supplement the few paid employees. In this way we have no debts.
It isn’t just shows here. The Chamber Of Commerce’s Tourism Open Day was held at Shanklin Theatre and I know you host many other events.
We’re probably running something like 150 shows a year although the theatre is used much more, probably on 300 days each year. Most people will only be aware of what they see on the noticeboard or on the website and they may be surprised by how many functions we run. The Townswomen’s Guild have a day here. Some people hire the theatre for several days or for rehearsals. Hiring the theatre out is a crucial percentage of our business and it’s a straight bottom line for us.
How seasonal is your business?
It’s not seasonal strangely enough. Decent acts will always sell. If it’s the right act, people will come. Acts are often more available in the spring and autumn because they aren’t tied up in summer seasons or panto. In the summer it’s possible the tourists are the majority of our audience. The locals come out for the bigger acts in the autumn. We’ve proved we have the support for a year round theatre and we sell a considerable amount of tickets. A lot of agents now approach me, so we try and get in on as many tours as possible. Alan Davies came to us on the second part of his tour, which suits me fine because he’s already played the mainland venues.
I spoke to Alan Davies after his performance here and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
That’s right. We welcome everyone and thank them for coming afterwards. We look after them. They’ve often come a long way. You hear stories of how acts don’t even get a cup of tea at some places. What I’ve tried to do is get a range and variety of acts, from the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain to people from Strictly Come Dancing and top comedians and musical acts. Four years ago we’d never have imagined we could book an act like the Stylistics. Comedians are definitely the big seller for us. We love them because they’re easy to handle. I’m not sure about the big band audience these days. The proof is in the turnover at the box office ultimately.
Is the Isle Of Wight a barrier to business?
We get an enormous amount of support from Wightlink. Some acts have huge vehicles and our profit would otherwise be gone in the ferry costs alone. I used to have to “sell the Island” to agents quite a bit in the early days to persuade them to take the booking. Now we have a track record and that helps. We’re firmly established in the industry these days but even now there are Islanders who don’t know what we’re doing. Things like the Royal visit raised our profile and we’re steadily getting there.
First published in the May 2014 issue of Island Business magazine.
