We should be proud of our Regional theatres

When we think of theatre in this country, we inevitably think of one place – the West End. With its high productions values, big musicals and all-star casts, the London theatre scene dominates. Big family musicals, nearly always in the West End, account for a staggering £1 in every £4 taken at UK theatre box offices.

But all too often, we forget the importance of regional theatre (outside of London) to British cultural life. Regional theatre is the grassroots of the theatre system in this country.

So often, it's where the careers of some of our best British actors and actresses begin, and where some of our most innovative plays and productions start life. 

Actors and actresses as prominent as Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Jonathan Pryce and Dame Shelia Hancock started their careers in our regional theatres. Indeed, Hugh Bonneville, of Downton Abbey fame, took part in 6 productions at Colchester’s own Colchester Mercury Theatre in the late 1980s, in roles as diverse as the Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew to the Panto Dame in Dick Whittington that Christmas!

Moreover, many of our most successful new plays in recent years have started life in our regional theatres. The recent smash hit Gypsy, which was filmed for TV this Christmas, started life at the Chichester Festival Theatre before being moved up to bigger venues in London.

Unlike big commercial theatre in London, much of our regional theatre is not self-financing, and relies on subsidy from the Arts Council and local Government to ensure its year to year viability. But this funding is not sunken costs – it has real economic benefits. 

Recent research for the Arts Council in August showed that theatre subsidy helps support over £2.2 billion in private sector activity in the UK. In my own constituency of Colchester, the Mercury Theatre generates £3 for the local economy for every £1 of grant aid the theatre receives. The total economic impact on the local area is £3.6m - a not insignificant sum. Research also highlights the importance of subsidised theatre in developing the careers of young actors and in furthering challenging and innovative work. 

Of course, we are in tough financial times and the Government has a deficit to eliminate. But it was so encouraging to see the Chancellor increase the cash going to Arts Council at the Autumn Statement by around £10m each year. I hope this generous increase in funding will help the Arts Council fund some great restoration and innovative projects in our subsidised theatres outside of London.

We should be proud of having such a strong theatre scene in our capital. But great culture and theatre is not just for the great and the good in London. When regional theatre does well, our whole cultural scene benefits - audiences have greater access to quality theatre, budding performers and writers have the chance to innovate and partake in new material and local economies are boosted. We shouldn’t forget regional theatre is the grassroots of our world class theatre scene.