I didn't get to see it this year because life conspired against me.
There are some misconceptions that are knocking around on this thread that are worth addressing though...
Shakespeare @ the Castle never, and i mean
never, made money - it always ran at a loss. Bums on seats? There weren't enough seats to put bums on
to make money. What's in a name? Subsidy, by any other name, still smells like
a sum of money granted by the state or a public body to help an industry or business keep the price of a commodity or service low.
Shakespeare @ the Castle was essentially subsidised by SBC.
Now you can argue to your hearts content as to whether that was a reasonable use of 'The Holy Taxpayer' -insert choral music here - money, and some will argue that it was good vfm, and some will wonder what vfm stands for and then scramble for google before saying no. The Arts have always been politically difficult in the UK, ironically for a Nation so well known for being so good in so many areas of almost all of them. Especially this one, with this dude.
When Entrust didn't take on the contract for running 'Leisure & Culture' services, and Freedom Leisure did, what wasn't Entrust were contractually obliged to continue the 'Shakespeare Festival' as part of that contract.
If we just pull up a sun lounger at the pool that is life for a moment - it is interesting to note that 'Leisure & Culture' seems to have its priorities in order, does it not?
Anyway - a point made earlier about the whole Market Square debacle actually has some truth to it. When it was first pitched to SBC that it could be moved to the Gatehouse, bearing in mind that they had to convince them to change the contract, they originally hoped that the Market Square could be used as an outside space for picnics/bars/street food, to mimic that at the Castle - bad timing this year, sure, but you can see how that might work next year...
Last thing... apropos 'cheap tickets' being issued
because of low sales, i've heard that actually the Gatehouse folk were adamantly opposed to it, but cutting the price was forced on them by higher ups who got the jitters and were keen to see good
pre-sales in light of the change away from the Castle after they'd blagged that new contract.
Being in the business of putting shows on in Theatres, rather than selling Gym memberships, the good folk at the Gatehouse had noticed that peoples' behaviour has changed in the last two years - if only there was some way of knowing why? - and people have tended to book things much later than they once did. They were confident that those bums were coming, just maybe without a week or two weeks warning.
Higher-ups won, cheap seats followed, see if you can envisage the knock-on effects 'going forward'...
It's nice to see you back
@Carole , i've heard nothing but good things about the
actual show, so that's something positive.