A local theatre has said its upcoming hosting of local BBC Children in Need coverage will help to ‘rebuild’ its reputation.
New Theatre Royal on Clasketgate, Lincoln, was announced as the host of BBC Children in Need for the East Midlands last week.
The theatre reopened two years ago following a decade of uncertainty after the building had been leased to an entertainment company by the City of Lincoln Council.
Emma Olivier-Townrow, Business Development Manager at New Theatre Royal, says that getting to this point has been an ‘extensive journey’.
She said: “We were really thrilled because we have worked really hard to rebuild the reputation of the theatre since we took over.
“Any noise about the theatre really helps and ticket sales have been really good, and those will bring fresh faces into the theatre which is never a bad thing.”
Since Children in Need was first broadcast on TV in 1980, it has featured links to regional programmes every hour for up to eight-minute periods.
New Theatre Royal will be the host of coverage for the East Midlands – meaning it will be broadcast in areas including Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
“We generally find that we’ve got so much more production, we have nearly 300 shows a year, so once people have been into the theatre and once they’ve received a warm welcome and enjoyed the heritage of the building, they keep coming back.
“We’ve been clear that the theatre is open for everyone, before it was a bit of a closed shop and almost like an exclusive club,” said Mrs Olivier-Townrow.
BBC Children in Need will be broadcast on the 16th November on BBC One, and tickets for the event at New Theatre Royal can still be purchased by visiting their website.