Theatre boss says more public funding needed

The Kenton opened to the public in 1805

Regional theatres need more public funding to ensure their long-term survival, the manager of a town's theatre has said.

Lottie Pheasant, who runs the Kenton in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, said councils have helped but that running the Grade II listed venue is difficult financially.

"There's less and less money available and like many theatres we don't have any Arts Council funding so it's very tricky trying to do it without any [other] support," she said.

The Mill at Sonning, the UK's only dinner theatre, has launched a star-studded drive backed by Dame Judi Dench to raise £125,000 to help with rising costs.

Lottie Pheasant said the Kenton is regularly used by the Henley community

Mrs Pheasant, who has managed the Kenton since 2023, said: "We're balancing [costs] with ticket prices so they are acceptable and trying to ensure that theatres are as accessible and inclusive as possible."

The Kenton has received a £100,000 loan from Henley Town Council and other funding from South Oxfordshire District Council but is otherwise dependent on ticket sales and other money made on site.

Based in the centre of Henley, the Kenton opened in 1805 and is the UK's fourth-oldest working theatre.

"We definitely need more public funding," Mrs Pheasant said. "We don't have any other funding. We're purely reliant on ticket sales and the bar revenue and any other revenue streams we have to cover all our costs."

She added: "It would be incredibly sad to lose the arts in these communities.

"At the Kenton, about 40% of our programme is community groups…making use of our facilities and the volunteering opportunities that we offer to people. We bring communities together."