Live entertainment at the seaside: a benchmarking exercise for local authority theatres

Abstract

Live entertainment has been a ‘given’ part of the total cultural offer since seaside resorts began. As resorts have changed, particularly in the 1990s, the type of live entertainment on offer has also been changing and it has become more important to consider whether such live entertainment continues to meet the needs of seaside theatre-goers, be they tourists, day-visitors, residents or people living within an appropriate drive time. The need for such analysis is also partly a response by seaside theatre operators to the government's requirement for the accountability of local authority cultural provision, but it primarily comes from recognition that greater knowledge, perhaps in relation to other resorts, might lead to a better appreciation of the difficulties facing theatre managers and policy makers at seaside resorts at the beginning of the 21st century. This article discusses the setting up, and first three years' operation, of a benchmarking exercise for live entertainment at seaside resorts. The initiative is a joint collaboration between the British Resorts Association and the Centre for Resort Theatre. The former is well known for its positive campaigning on behalf of seaside resorts and has joined with the latter to help present an accurate picture of an important part of the cultural offer at the seaside, the live entertainment. The Centre for Resort Theatre is an independent consultancy run by the author to ‘shine a light’ on seaside entertainment and develop research in this area. An analysis of the data collected through the benchmarking exercise reveals that seaside theatre operators are achieving good results, but that the potential of the material in the Centre for Resort Theatre database has only been partially exploited. The possibilities for greater use are implied. These could include tactical aspects of theatre operations (for example, which acts to book), or strategic aspects (such as issues concerning the long-term future ownership/control of seaside theatres).