Strategic review of SOLT and UK Theatre planned for 2023

A strategic review into the future set-up of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre will be conducted next year, in which the potential merger of the organisations will be investigated. 

New joint chief executives Claire Walker and Hannah Essex confirmed the review would begin in January, and will look at what partnerships the organisations have, as well as the structure of the organisations.

Speaking to The Stage, Walker said: “Do we have the right partnerships? Are we working in the right way? Are we structured in the right way in terms of membership structures?"

Addressing the possibility of a merger, she added: “We’ll involve members and staff in that discussion. We have no fixed view about what the end result looks like – it has to work to ensure that theatre thrives and we have to recognise that while there’s a lot that unites, there are challenges that are different outside of London and in the West End. 

"So, we’re really open. The most important thing before we have that review is making sure that our staff members have a clear sense of what they deliver for both, and that we have a business plan with some joint elements, some elements specific to UK Theatre and some specific to SOLT."

In this week’s Big Interview, the pair explain how they have developed a one-year business plan focusing on these three elements, including audiences, and an attempt to return audiences to 2019 levels.

“In London, it ebbs and flows – some weeks we’ve hit 2019 [levels] or gone beyond. Other weeks we haven’t. The start of the year was really tricksy,” Essex said. 

She added: “Out of London, audiences are well off where they were in 2019. Because we don’t have officiallondontheatre.com or the equivalent of the TKTS booth outside of London, we are talking to members and to boards about: what is our role in attracting people back to theatre when each theatre is already doing its own marketing and each production has its own marketing plan? But there is absolutely a challenge outside of London for theatre audiences."

Essex said the cost-of-living crisis and people getting out of the "habit" was impacting audiences. 

"There’s also some concern around the cost of touring and whether that is having an impact on the availability of shows for people to see. Plus, there are issues with trains and buses. There’s a lack of confidence from people of: one, will I get Covid and not be able to go? And two, will I be able to get there if the transport isn’t available?" she said. 

Read the full interview here.