NEWS: A hugely successful 150th Anniversary year for Tyne Theatre & Opera House!

A hugely successful 150^th Anniversary year for Tyne Theatre & Opera House!

January 2018 marks three years since Tyne Theatre & Opera House became an independent venue, and it is with great pride that the Grade 1 listed venue can announce that business has gone from strength to strength, with 2017 being its most successful year yet.

2017 saw the magnificent building celebrate its 150^th Anniversary, and during this milestone year, the theatre welcomed 80,000 customers through its doors to attend a wonderfully varied programme of shows, including several special events to mark 150 years. 

A major part of the 150^th Anniversary programme was several collaborative events, including The Cinema Years, which saw the theatre team up with Whitley Bay Film Festival to celebrate its time as the Stoll Picture Theatre, and a partnership with Customs House, South Shields, which brought their smash-hit show Geordie the Musical to the Newcastle stage. The theatre hopes that this is just the beginning of many exciting collaborations to come.

2017 was a wonderful year for Musicals, with the theatre’s very own Tyne Theatre Productions presenting their own grand version of West Side Story as part of the 150^th celebrations - their best attended show yet. Tyne Theatre Productions comprises solely of dedicated volunteers, with all funds raised going back into the restoration and preservation of the theatre, and their contribution to the theatre is vital. They will return in March with Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and then in October with Broadway favourite Guys and Dolls.

The theatre has also become the place to see stand-up comedy in Newcastle, with many top-name comedians gracing its stage for sold-out shows, including Katherine Ryan, Russell Kane, Rob Beckett and Omid Djalili. 2018 looks set to be a phenomenal year for comedy, with the likes of Joe Lycett, Jon Richardson, Ed Byrne and Tim Vine in the diary, and with Sarah Millican returning for nine dates (many of which are already sold out).

Tyne Theatre & Opera House ended 2017 on a particularly high note, with the huge success of its Pantomime, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. 2017 marked a brand new partnership between the theatre and Enchanted Entertainment, whose magical production dazzled audiences, with over 22,000 people in attendance across December. Enchanted Entertainment will return with an Easter Pantomime, Beauty & the Beast, and tickets are already selling fast for this year’s Christmas pantomime, Cinderella, which promises to be another magical show.

The theatre has begun to achieve part of its restoration plan with funds raised by Tyne Theatre Productions and generous donations. 250 seats in the auditorium have now been completely refurbished, several of the ladies toilet facilities have been upgraded, and the Bistro Bar has been redecorated. There is still much to be done, but thanks to the support of the public, restoration can continue, to allow this historical building to remain open as a venue for culture and entertainment in the North East.

Theatre Director Joanne Johnson says: “I’m utterly thrilled with the success the theatre enjoyed in 2017 – it’s been better than we could have even hoped for! As we approach three years as an independent venue, it’s wonderful to see how well things are going. We had some amazing shows in 2017, and the 2018 programme is already jam-packed, with many more shows to be announced across the coming months. Of course, we wouldn’t be here without the support of the public, and I would like to thank everyone for their continued support of this beautiful venue.”
For more information or tickets for all shows either click on the above affiliate links above or visit the theatre website www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk