The Arts Council has awarded £50,000 to Kingston’s Rose theatre to fund an initiative to encourage a younger audience by offering free tickets.

The announcement of the programme comes just weeks after the theatre was rescued from closure by a three year £1.8 million deal by Kingston council.

Lucy Goldsborough, marketing and press assistant at the Rose Theatre said they were “thrilled” at the loan and also by the £300,000 that Kingston University pledged to pay per year to secure the use of its services.

Mr Frank Whately, Head of School, Performance and Screen Studies for Kingston University welcomed the initiative to offer free tickets to young people. He said: “In this age of TV and easy access to other entertainment, it’s inevitable we need to develop the opportunities for people to attend the theatre.”

However, 19-year-old Kingston student Adam Reef, expressed his doubts that even free tickets would be enough to lure young people to the theatre.  Although he regularly goes bowling or to the cinema, Mr Reef said: “this type of leisure [theatre] doesn’t appeal.”

Craig Ellender, manager of the Odeon Cinema, said so far audience numbers had not suffered during the economic downturn. Although he said:  “The difference is in regards to what’s sold at the snack stand.” The price of the cheapest theatre ticket, £7, is lower than a cinema ticket at the Odeon in Kingston at £9.05.
 

Mrs Goldsborough hopes that the “clever initiative” will encourage a wider audience to try the theatre because: “there are a lot of demands on the time and money of young people.”

However, Rita Sandhu, 21, a Kingston student said, “It isn’t the price, it’s the shows themselves.” Mrs Sandhu said while she would like to see Lion King she was not interested in the shows currently running at the Rose Theatre.

Five West End theatres closed their doors recently because it seems the people of London are turning away from traditional plays in favour of musicals.

Mr Whately, said: “No theatre in the country is not in financial crisis.” He also admitted that it is a difficult balance establishing the Rose Theatre brand by building a regular audience and being able to offer a variety of shows that can appeal to a wide audience. But he said it was a balance that must be achieved to “build the audience of the future.”

The Rose Theatre has just been confirmed as the venue for the International Youth Arts Festival due to take place this July. To take advantage of free theatre tickets contact the Rose theatre directly.