2021 – THE YEAR WE STAGED THE BIGGEST COMEBACK OF ALL – THE RETURN OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Following a year like no other and the longest forced closure ever of theatres and cinemas around the world, 2021 proved to be a pivotal year as live entertainment made a striking comeback.

At the forefront of this renaissance was Trafalgar Entertainment, leading the resurgence with renewed passion, energy, major investment and record-breaking box office numbers as theatres reopened, companies were acquired and audiences were once again entertained. TE’s Joint CEO’s and co-founders, Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire, were also centre stage with high profile appearances on Question Time, BBC News and Sky as they campaigned endlessly over the summer for the reopening of our world-beating industry and cultural buildings.

Starting the year with a major acquisition, TE acquired the UK’s largest specialist regional theatre operator, HQ Theatres and its 12 regional venues including Southend Cliffs Pavilion, New Theatre Cardiff, G Live Guildford, Bromley’s Churchill Theatre and the Orchard Theatre, Dartford. Rosemary said, “It’s a credit to the whole team that they have navigated the recent closure period so successfully and are poised to emerge intact and well placed for future growth as the sector rebuilds.”

In May, TE agreed a 70-year lease of a major new London theatre at Olympia as part of the £1.3 billion regeneration. The 1,575-seat venue will become the largest new permanent theatre build to open in London since the National Theatre in 1976. Speaking about the project, Howard said, “Looking forward to a new golden age of theatre, Olympia presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity – it is quite simply one of the most exciting new theatres London has seen for many years.”

During the summer, film fans were able to experience the magic of cinema for the first time in Chiswick since the 1930s when TE opened a brand-new boutique cinema complex, The Chiswick Cinema, the company’s first cinema complex complete with Private Members’ Club. Rosemary said, “The development of the cinema has been a labour of love for TE and it also heralds our first foray into cinema complex ownership; something we very much hope to build on in the future.”

The final lockdown restrictions were lifted in England on 19 July and theatres, cinemas and other live entertainment venues were allowed to open their doors to full capacity audiences without social distancing measures in place for the first time in 16 long months. Rosemary said, “The message to our industry is clear and we have known of this pent-up demand for some time, but to finally see theatres full of happy people, cheering, singing, applauding, is just pure magic.”

By then, Trafalgar Theatre Productions, led by Howard had produced four new productions despite the huge practical and financial risks and uncertainties of the time. They decided early on during the pandemic that it was important to be part of the first new productions to re-open – thereby helping to employ thousands of people as early as possible and signalling to theatregoers that our industry was running again.

After a closure of 499 days, the beautifully renovated Grade II listed Trafalgar Theatre was unveiled in July following a major multi-million-pound restoration project reinstating the theatre back to its original heritage 1930’s Art Deco design, some of which had not been seen for over 90 years. Howard compared the unveiling to “discovering Tutankhamun’s tomb for the first time.”

To herald this exciting new era for the Trafalgar Theatre, the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning international phenomenon Jersey Boys became the first major musical production to play at the theatre when it returned to London’s West End in July. Speaking after the opening night, Rosemary said, “Howard and I had tears in our eyes along with most of the audience, just so wonderful to be back in a full theatre again sharing in a fantastic experience.”

The smash hit ‘show of the year’ Anything Goes smashed multiple Box Office records at the Barbican Theatre during 2021 including the single highest grossing performance week for a musical in the Barbican’s 39 year history and the highest sales across a weekend for a musical, as audiences flooded through the doors for the 15 week sold out season. Starring Sutton Foster, Robert Lindsay, Felicity Kendal, and Gary Wilmot, the lavish production was described as the “musical equivalent of sipping one glass of champagne after another” (The Times).

In November, TE announced that Anything Goes would be returning to the Barbican for an 8 week return residency in summer 2022 alongside a UK Tour calling at Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Canterbury. London lockdown hit Death Drop made a spectacular return re-opening in the West End and touring the UK, whilst smash hit musical The Rocky Horror Show starring Ore Oduba was bigger than ever with a sell-out UK and Ireland Tour. TE and The National Theatre began a tenth anniversary UK & Ireland tour of the acclaimed play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions was back in business with Singin’ in the Rain at Sadler’s Wells and on UK Tour, a national tour of the classic The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and David Suchet’s one-man show Poirot and More: A Retrospective.

Trafalgar Releasing also enjoyed a post-pandemic boost with BLACKPINK and Oasis Knebworth 1996 becoming box office successes, a live stream of The Rocky Horror Show and the critically acclaimed Anything Goes sailing into cinemas. 

Continuing its commitment to providing performing arts education, TE acquired the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in September. The children’s extra-curricular drama specialist organisation provide education in 36 countries, with over 100,000 students.

Speaking at the time, Rosemary said, “Sadly, arts education funding is being squeezed from the National Curriculum so it is vitally important that a drama provision like this is made available to everyone. TE believes that inspiring children through the creative arts is an important investment for the future.”

After an unprecedented year, Stagecoach Performing Arts witnessed a record surge in new students as schools returned to normality. Demand was so high that Stagecoach recruited over 17,000 new students in the autumn, making it the most successful recruitment term in Stagecoach’s history. In November, Helen Enright took over as CEO of London Theatre Direct and the ticketing company recorded its highest ever week of sales in the run up to Black Friday.

TE showed no signs of slowing down and continued its global expansion into Asia Pacific following the major acquisition and restoration of Australia’s iconic Theatre Royal Sydney. The year ended in celebration Down Under as the venue finally opened its doors after five years on 2 December opening with Broadway’s favourite multi award-winning musical, Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill. Critically acclaimed musical Girl from the North Country, written and directed by Conor McPherson and with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, and four-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical An American in Paris will follow in 2022, just a taste of what is to come for audiences.

Howard said, “When we set our eyes on Theatre Royal Sydney, a true Australian theatrical icon, we were committed to restoring it back to all its glory, and to sit once again in the heart of Sydney’s CBD – where the city meets the stage. Sydney has always been a landmark destination globally, and now it has back in place a landmark to visit and see the best of world class theatre.”

2021 also saw the launch of TE’s official corporate website. For more information about TE and its family of brands, please visit www.trafalgarentertainment.com