The City’s Mayflower venues, Mayflower Theatre and MAST Mayflower Studio, are celebrating a record-breaking run of festive shows.
Over 80,000 people saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, A Christmas Carol and Counting Down to Christmas across both venues.
Mayflower Theatre had over 74,000 people attending Snow White, making it the highest attended pantomime for the length of run in over 20 years.
MAST Mayflower Studios enjoyed 19 sold out performances of Counting Down to Christmas and seven sold out performances of A Christmas Carol, again a venue record. A Christmas Carol was MAST’s third Christmas Youth Production providing high-quality opportunities for local young talent and featured 50 young people in the show.
“I am thrilled that we have achieved record breaking attendances across our venues,” says Michael Ockwell, Chief Executive and Creative Director. “We developed a strategy to provide festive shows catering for all ages when we opened MAST Mayflower Studios – a fun first entry to theatre show for pre-schoolers, a Christmas Youth Production and the biggest pantomime on the South Coast.
“Christmas is an important time where young and old often have their first experience of theatre and I am delighted that so many of our local community have been able to attend one of our productions.”
Audience survey data indicates that customers opted to spend money in the local region, taking advantage of local eateries, shopping on the high street and shopping centres and enjoying the many festive attractions across the city.
Michael adds: “It’s extremely rewarding to see the impact that theatre makes on the local economy. As well as providing life-long memories and cultural experiences, we’re contributing to the prosperity of the city.
“We would like to thank all the creative teams who put the shows together, the artists who have spent their Christmas entertaining us and especially the amazing young people who made up the cast of A Christmas Carol”
Next Christmas Mayflower Theatre will be presenting Jack and the Beanstalk, with the return of Ashley Banjo and Diversity, and MAST Mayflower Studios will produce a new version of The Wind in the Willows – Toad’s BIG Musical Adventure.
Tickets are on sale now for both productions at mayflower.org.uk or 02380 711811.
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