Audience development for theatres

What kind of theatres I work with

I work with theatres of every shape and size, in London and across the UK, including Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Leeds and beyond. The venues vary, but the work is consistent.

The theatres I work with most often look like this:

• Producing theatres putting on a season and wanting consistent audience development across multiple shows
• Receiving theatres on a tour stop wanting tour-specific outreach to local audiences
• West End and large commercial theatres wanting a deep diverse audience push for a long run
• Education and outreach departments wanting community engagement that is more than a tick-box
• New work venues wanting the right audience in for a brand new piece

What I bring to a theatre engagement

When a theatre brings me in, this is what arrives.

• A diverse, organic UK-wide list of audience contacts I have built over decades
• Real relationships with community leaders, schools, family workers and group organisers
• Honest, warm communication that gets responses where generic theatre marketing does not
• A track record of filling allocations, particularly for school matinees and community priced seats
• Strategic thinking that does not stop at one show, so the audience you build now is still with you in three years
• A genuine love of theatre that comes through in every email, phone call and conversation

A few stories from the work

I have worked on long-running shows like Hamilton, Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera. Those productions stay in the West End for so long because they have diverse audiences who keep coming back. The work I do is part of the wider effort that keeps that pipeline alive.

I have also worked with smaller productions and regional shows, including a young people’s ballet that a community group came to having never seen live performance. Some of the young people thought it was the cinema. By the end they were on their feet cheering. That is the kind of theatre work that stays with me.

How a typical theatre project starts

The shape of a project depends on the brief, but most begin in a similar way.

1. You get in touch with the show, the venue, the run dates and the audience you want
2. We have a short call so I can understand what is realistic and what is ambitious
3. I put together a proposal that fits your timeline and budget
4. Once we are working together, I start with the outreach and feed back to you week by week
5. After the run we look at what worked, what did not, and what we would do differently next time

Questions theatres often ask

How early should I bring you in for a production? The earlier the better, particularly for tours and for shows with strong access ambitions. Six to eight weeks before opening is common, but I have helped venues with shorter lead times too.

Do you only work in London? No. I am London-based but I work with theatres across the UK. Most of the audience outreach happens by email and by phone, with site visits and community meetings where they add value.

Can you support a single education matinee? Yes. I regularly support venues with single-school matinee outreach, including disseminating tickets, coordinating workshops, and attending on the day to feed back.

Do you work with West End shows? Yes. I have worked on long-running West End productions and on shorter West End runs. The work scales to whatever the show needs.