Mosaic of actors on stages in different plays

With increasing ticket sales year on year, trends show the Manor Pavilion theatre continuing to thrive and expand its audience after another successful Sidmouth Summer Play Festival 2024.

The Theatre has hosted a good variety of plays this year, with thrillers, comedies, and farces in the programme. The Festival included familiar playwrights and shows we expect to see in Sidmouth, as well as a few newer ones to the town. It is this balance, the respect for heritage, whilst aiming for excellence and respecting the audience, that keeps people returning to the season each year.

Audience numbers appear to be back to pre-pandemic levels with box office takings at a record-high, boasting a 13.8% increase from last year.

After the Season's success, both in ticket sales and performance quality, the Artistic director Paul Taylor Mills and Andrew Beckett, the main producer, are already reading scripts and choosing the plays for next year.

With over 65 years of repertory theatre history in Sidmouth, and a book about it looming, the team at the theatre look forward to what the future brings for the venue.

The Manor Pavilion Theatre whilst being aware of its rich heritage, continues to adapt and grow in the face of challenges and changing times. In the current climate of the Arts in the UK, it is reassuring to see a positive story and East Devon leading the way.

Reviewer and playwright, Cormac Richards, is writing a book about the history of rep theatre in Sidmouth and would love to hear from members of the public with pictures or news clippings from the Play Season 1958 - 2012.

He has already been conducting interviews and looking through archives, documenting past seasons. By putting together local stories, Cormac hopes to place Sidmouth within a wider context of theatre history.

Cllr Nick Hookway, East Devon District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure, Sport and Tourism said:

“It’s great to see The Manor Pavilion thrive, the theatre is truly an asset to the community.”