Dear All,

Welcome to the March 2026 edition of Ensemble. 

We start with some fabulous news and it’s congratulations to everyone at Stagecoach Performing Arts as the company is crowned the UK’s number one Franchise of the Year. This latest recognition continues a remarkable run of form for the brand. Awards season is is full swing, and it’s wonderful to see nominations for Imagine Theatre and Chris Jordan for the 2026 UK Pantomime Awards, and Olivier Award nominations for Trafalgar’s production of Good Night, Oscar. Both ceremonies take place in April, so fingers crossed! 

Arts and music lovers across Wiltshire will benefit from a vibrant new entertainment venue as Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled £20 million to enhance Swindon’s cultural offering last week. It will also be a significant boost to town centre retailers, restaurants, bars and hotels with the added footfall brought in by the new venue. 

Trafalgar fully supports and welcomes the council’s plans for the new venue in Swindon and we are committed to playing an active part in conversations as those plans take shape. In the meantime, the Wyvern Theatre along with Swindon Arts Centre continue to play an integral part in Swindon’s cultural scene providing theatre, live entertainment, and events for the local community. Swindon is also celebrating after being longlisted for the UK City of Culture 2029 title, marking a major milestone in the town’s ambitious bid to showcase its creativity and heritage.

In some sad news, the former West End theatre publicist Peter Thompson, has died aged 81. Peter was one of the most prolific and well-known publicists of the late 20th and early 21st century and his PR agency Peter Thompson Associates represented some of the West End’s biggest hits. Speaking to The Stage, Howard called Peter “the best PR of his generation and the first great influencer” who “set the gold standard for the whole PR influencer approach.” Howard and I worked with Peter on many occasions over the years and we are saddened to hear of his passing. 

There have been great strides made in sustainability projects across the group in recent months, culminating in Trafalgar’s three pilot venues, Churchill Theatre Bromley, Southend Theatres and G Live all achieving Theatre Green Book certification. Congratulations to all involved, and special thanks to Alvin Hargreaves and our all green champions for driving this change across our business. 

Bradford Live continues to build on its reputation as a serious competitor on the UK touring circuit. Following two highly acclaimed sell-out Gorillaz gigs last week, promoter X-Ray Touring said that “it has the potential to grow into one of the best standing/seated venues in the country.” We continue to build on the momentum with the news that Bradford Live will screen all of England’s World Cup games this summer, by creating the biggest ever indoor fan park during the tournament. More on both these stories in this edition of Ensemble.

This week, I also had the honour of visiting The Brit School in London to meet musical theatre and production arts students to talk about opportunities in theatre. It was wonderful to meet so many aspiring young people who want to work in our industry.

Finally, Easter is just around the corner, so I’d like to wish you all a very Happy Easter break. Let’s hope for some sunshine and warm weather. 

Enjoy reading this month’s Ensemble, and until next time, take care of yourselves.

Best wishes
Rosemary