Box office records broken by Sidmouth theatre’s summer rep season which took £123k in first month

Manor Pavilion Theatre Sidmouth (Image: Archant)

The popular productions, which are shown for three months during the summer, have broken box office records, writes Lucy Newby.

The summer play season was produced by West End luminary Paul Taylor-Mills and features favourite thrillers, comedies and dramas.

The theatre is the last in the UK to offer a season of productions that change every week over the summer months.

West End producer Mr Taylor-Mills has taken the helm at the theatre for his sixth season, producing a selection of plays by writers such as Brian Clemens and Ray Cooney. He has won many accolades over the years, including a trio of Olivier Awards for his musical ‘In the Heights’.

Councillor John O’Leary, East Devon District Council’s champion for culture, said: “Audiences would normally have to go to London to see performances of this standard, so we are very lucky indeed to have a director of Paul bringing such a fantastic mix of genres to Sidmouth for us to enjoy.

“Our council is very proud of Manor Pavilion Theatre, which punches way beyond the weight of other provincial playhouses.”

Tickets for this summer’s season are available from the theatre box office on 01395 514413. Phone lines are open from 10am until 2pm and ticket prices are £16 or £17, with seats for under-16s costing £8. Group discounts are also available.

Visit www.manorpavilion.com for further information about productions at the theatre.

The remaining plays in the 2018 season are: Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton - July 26 to August 1. Handbagged by Moira Buffini - August 2 to 3 and August 11 to 15. Funny Money by Ray Cooney - August 16 to August 22. Strictly Murder by Brian Clemens - August 23 to August 29. Barefoot in the park by Neil Simon - August 30 to September 5. Death Knell by James Cawood - September 6 to September 12. Lend me a tenor by Ken Ludwig - September 13 to September 21.