Ambassador Theatre Group Celebrates Opening Of Their 39th Venue in The UK 10/12

On Tuesday 12 October the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), will celebrate the opening of their 39th venue in the UK with a glittering opening night gala of the brand new Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. In opening this unique and exciting venue, Ambassador Theatre Group, who already manage in excess of 400,000 theatre seats a week nationwide are bucking the current trend of arts investment cuts. Suitably marking the occasion this red-carpet star studded evening promises to be an unforgettable event.

The West End truly lands at The Waterside on the Gala Opening Night as a host of stars arrive for the opening of the UK's newest theatre. Numerous celebrities and industry names will be there for the black-tie event - and will be joined on-screen by well-wishers from the wider world of entertainment.
Before curtain-up, the crowd will be treated to a performance by a West End leading lady - joined on screen by stars from Theatreland itself. Cilla Black - star of Aylesbury Waterside Theatre's Christmas pantomime Cinderella - will be on hand to cut the ribbon and ‘open the house' for the first professional performance on The Waterside stage - Northern Ballet's Swan Lake.

The glittering opening night kicks off a stunning first season at the Waterside. An unparalleled choice of one night specials will include world-class orchestral music from The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Laughter Therapy with controversial comedian Jimmy Carr and music from the most influential band of their era - The Buzzcocks. Musical favourites Joseph and Evita, will be brought to Aylesbury along with global phenomenon Calendar Girls, rock ‘n' roll heaven in Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show, the hilarious Spamalot and the country's biggest and best Panto star Cilla Black in the country's biggest and best £1million family Panto - Cinderella.
ATG's newest acquisition, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, will itself hold an exciting position in theatre history as the first and only build of its kind planned for this decade in Britain. As the first step in a major regeneration of the town the opening marks a significant turning point in the renaissance of Aylesbury, the county town of Buckinghamshire. The theatre is expecting to see 300,000 people visit them each year to enjoy a dynamic and diverse programme of live performances, bringing hugely increased additional visitor spend to this mid-shire market town.

Howard Panter, Co-founder and Joint CEO of The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd said:

"In a time of such austerity Aylesbury Vale District Council's bold £42 million investment provides the perfect antidote. We are delighted to be opening the Waterside at this time. This is a fantastic theatre, which will undoubtedly become an important cultural resource bringing the very best in entertainment to Aylesbury and beyond."

The landmark building inspired by the hills and forests of the surrounding Chiltern countryside situated right at the heart of Aylesbury, boasts an impressive 1,200-seat auditorium that converts into a 1,800 standing capacity hall. The venue offers a more intimate 200-seat space, a range of versatile meeting rooms, public spaces and a waterfront café.

The opening of Aylesbury Waterside Theatre marks the creation of new vibrant environment where other exciting projects are already underway. A new green space to the front of the theatre links them to one of the towns' best assets - the canal. By 2012 the area will be home to a new Waitrose and hotel, along with a redevelopment of the canal basin and the opening of the National Enterprise Academy - the brainchild of Dragon's Den, Peter Jones.
Leader of Aylesbury Vale District Council John Cartwright said:

"Our faith in the theatre to deliver bigger benefits for the economy as well as a sparkling new entertainment venue for people from all walks of life to enjoy, is already starting to be repaid. As influential people whether Peter Jones, Government ministers or potential new investors, meet with the district council or its partners, the theatre has become a powerful weapon in the town's armoury to sell itself as a place to be".

Founded in 1992 by husband and wife team Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, ATG is now one of the country's foremost theatre producers and has been behind some of the most successful and innovative productions both in Britain and around the world. Today ATG employs over 4000 people and can boast a turnover of almost £200 million. Earlier this year ATG completed the £90m purchase of Live Nation's UK Theatres.

The opening of The Aylesbury Waterside Theatre adds to ATG's already phenomenal portfolio including, in London the Lyceum Theatre, the Apollo Victoria, the Comedy, the Duke of York's, Fortune, Phoenix, Piccadilly, Savoy, and Playhouse Theatres along with the Trafalgar Studios and the Donmar Warehouse. Their regional theatres include the King's Theatre Glasgow, Theatre Royal Brighton, the Ambassadors Woking, the Victoria Concert Hall and the Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent, Milton Keynes Theatre, the Churchill Theatre in Bromley and Richmond Theatre amongst many others totaling a grand 39 venues across the UK. ATG are also hugely successful theatre producers, with recent and Current Productions including "La Bête", "The Misanthrope" and "Legally Blonde" and their productions have thrived on both sides of the Atlantic and in Australia, winning numerous awards internationally including Tony (New York) Awards, Olivier Awards and Evening Standard Awards.

 

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