To: Hayes Gazette
Copy to: John McDonnell M.P. Constituency Office
Pump Lane, Hayes UB3 3NB
Copy to: The A P Taylor Trust, Mr Tim McCarthy
14 Berwick Avenue, Hayes UB4 0NF
FINANCIAL DISASTER FOR LOCAL SOCIETY
Having been a member of “Hayes & Harlington Musical Theatre Company” formerly known as “Hayes & Harlington Operatic Society” for over thirty years, I am very dismayed to hear unless ticket sales for their current production of Jeckyll & Hyde showing at the Beck Theatre from Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th October dramatically improve, the society will cease to exist owing a large sum of money.
The total cost of an amateur show at the Beck Theatre is approx. £30,000 and to exist, at least 70% of the theatre must be filled to raise this amount. Over the last few years it has been increasingly difficult to fill the theatre. An amateur society cannot exist with continual losses, even with fund raising events in between shows. Other local Societies (Hillingdon Musical Theatre and Uxbridge Musical Society) are having trouble selling seats in Hayes and are moving to the Winston Churchill Hall in Ruislip where local people regularly attend all musical shows.
Our local M.P. John McDonnell is striving to make Hayes a thriving, interesting
community. How can local societies be saved from extinction? They need help!
It has always been difficult to balance the budget but it is now impossible. The very popular show South Pacific was played to a half empty theatre in recent years, despite it being an excellent production by a local society.
Hayes & Harlington was the first local Operatic Society to perform at the Beck Theatre when it was built in 1977. The theatre was called “Alfred Beck” named after a gentleman who left money in his will to build a theatre for LOCAL PEOPLE! The musical production, SHOWBOAT, was sold out three weeks before it opened. How tragic that the closure of such a well known musical society will not be producing music for the next generation. A valuable source of theatrical education within Hayes & Harlington will be lost. When you listen to interviews with big names in the theatrical world, a large majority started their careers on the amateur stage.
Anyone who reads this article PLEASE support JECKYLL & HYDE. It has a strong story and the music is very good including the well known song “This Is The Moment” which was recorded by Michael Ball. The company, the director and the musical director have worked very hard over the last few months and deserve far better than an empty theatre because of the seat costs.
Yours in hope, Ann Gaines (Mrs).