Updated: 28 May 2013

Michael Rayns Chairman, Loft Theatre Company

The numbers game

Our most recent show, Calendar Girls, played to 97% which counts in my book as a technical full house. We can never be more than 100% sold so the last single digit percentage points are as elusive as creating absolute zero (-273°C) in the laboratory. My congratulations and thanks to Gus and everyone involved.

Interesting facts can be elicited and conclusions drawn from this performance and from the other high 90% shows we have had this season. The overwhelming majority of the seats are sold to people that are not members. The average price is therefore high because there are no voucher holders amongst the majority which comprises 75%+ of the purchases. These shows are therefore good revenue earners not just because of the volume but also because of this price factor.

These shows also slay some myths. Chief among these is that hoary one which holds that ‘nobody knows where the Loft is’. Clearly many people do. Another is that there is ‘something wrong with marketing outputs’. Fact is, all shows receive similar treatment and expenditure. Calendar Girls got no more than any other show. Now, it may be true that greater expenditure on other shows might nudge their numbers upwards but it is hard to know which shows to do that with and where to apply the spend. Local press advertising is expensive and inefficient since it means marketing a niche product to a general readership. The shows for which it works best are those with a broad demographic appeal – but they sell anyway as Calendar Girls demonstrates.

The other number that interests is the average attendance and the confusion that percentages create. Recent shows have averaged well over 1200 seats sold. I would love it to be more but I can think of a number of LTG houses locally which would love to have those numbers.

The bar

In last month’s column I reminisced about the 1970s and the Loft bar. Over the past year we have experimented with Friday-night opening but there has been no significant take-up. We have lost money doing it but had committed to running it for a year to give it every chance of growing. It didn’t and so the board has now taken the decision to end the experiment and the bar is no longer open on any non-show nights except for organised special events.

Parking

I am aware of the increased level of difficulty for casts, crew and all our volunteers caused by the increased use of the Yard facilities and the closure of Bath Place car park for the sewer engineering. I do not have any easy answers but will have some conversations with people inside WDC and see if I can pull something together that will be helpful. Please do not place any bets on my success.

Contact me

If you would like to discuss anything I have said here, or just want to chat – or complain – about any other aspect of the theatre that concerns you, please get in touch. I am always happy to talk.

Contact me by phone on 07763 974264, or via email to chairman@loft-theatre.co.uk.

Michael Rayns
Chairman

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