PAUL SAVIDENT: UK Theatre Availability

Theatres often find themselves in the position where they are about to print their new season brochure, and then they hear that a musical or play they have scheduled has cancelled and they have a whole week or more to fill. Also many theatres look at other theatres’ brochures and seasons and wish they could be contacted about exciting shows available to their theatre?

The brand new webservice at UKTheatreAvailability.co.uk is the answer for all theatre owners looking to fill their stages and also for all producers wishing to find available theatres.

In all, around the UK, there are over 1,900 theatres that have their doors open to the public and each of these theatres is constantly looking for shows and productions to bring audiences through their doors and into their auditoriums. It does not matter whether it is a 200, 450, 800 or 2,200 seater theatre – the need for the theatre to have excellent shows that will create a buzz is always the primary concern.

MARC SINDEN and CAROL MACDONALD of UK Theatre Availability have used their own intimate knowledge of the theatre and entertainment industry as well as the knowledge and expertise of the top Graphic Designer and Web Designers in the UK, to create a unique service (www.UKTheatreAvailability.co.uk) specifically aimed at the UK Theatre market. This service enables Theatres and Producers to communicate their specific needs - at a speed never thought of before – literally at the touch of a button.

Over the last few months, during the development stage of the website, Marc Sinden and Carol Macdonald have confidentially asked the views of several eminent people, on both sides of the industry, who are highly regarded and whose opinions they value and trust.

Said Marc: “To say that we were thrilled at the reaction would be an understatement. The enthusiastic and very positive comments went way beyond our wildest expectations. Many asked why it had taken so long for such an obvious solution to the ever-present problem to be addressed accurately and so simply. We deliberately asked a ‘civilian’, (someone who actually had no connection with the theatre business at all and with only moderate computer-literacy) to pretend that they were a Theatre Manager, to visit the website and to completely alter the details of ‘their theatre’ and to show it’s availability over the next 2 years. From scratch, it took them 7 1/2 minutes!”

Once a theatre becomes a member it can input simple details about its theatre: how many seats, stage size, lighting facilities, wing space etc and then, literally, ‘broadcast’ its available dates to producers, touring theatre companies, local theatre companies, even television companies looking at filming theatre locations. And the annual membership is currently equivalent to less than £1 per day – for the whole theatre, no matter how many seats is in it!

For the UK Theatre Availability website click HERE