Appeal

And now to some rather more frank remarks than is usual even in this column. This is, not to put too fine a point on it, an appeal for help.

We took the deliberate decision to redesign the cover and rebrand THEATRE RECORD for this, our 30th year, in order to demonstrate our continuing commitment; you may also remember the enthusiastic, forward-looking editorial of the year’s first issue, detailing our future plans. Indeed, with the advent of the “paywall” surrounding the Times newspapers’ content online, the importance of TR as a one-stop shop for the entirety of the British national press’s critical conversation is reaffirmed. Nevertheless, it can’t be denied that we have in the last few years been losing ground to the Internet, and that the recent recession made a number of folk think twice about renewing a subscription that we reluctantly had to raise in price in order to keep our heads above water.

Resource

The financing of THEATRE RECORD has never been what you could call comfortable. The magazine gets by with a regular staff of, in effect, one and a half (with me as the half and Ruth Keeley doing almost all the serious work), on a total of around three-quarters of a salary. Overheads are minimal. And we remain irrationally dedicated to bringing you this resource which so many of you consider invaluable. But in the past year or two this has grown less easy.

It has become apparent that a commercial corporate set-up may not be the best way to run a magazine like this. We therefore intend to do what is necessary to re-incorporate the enterprise as a charity. This should enable us to address matters more equitably and effectively, and of course to make better use of both income and donations, as well as seeking sponsorship in various ways. However, the transition over the latter part of this year will require careful piloting, and ideally the help of a tugboat or two.

Strategies

We know that we sell almost all our copies within the theatrical and educational sectors, and that a number of you will have more direct experience of the kind of financial and corporate arrangements that we’re now trying to bring into being for THEATRE RECORD. Any advice on particular strategies or tactics would be welcomed. And, of course, if anyone does happen to have recently found a few quid down the back of the settee and is wondering what to do with it, we have a variety of subscription offers that we hope can be tailored to your requirements...

I’m looking forward to being opinionated at you for some time yet.

London

Production

Venue

Opened

Closed

Page

Regions