Five minutes with… Marianne Locatori

What does a typical day look like as chief executive of Newcastle Theatre Royal?

There is no such thing as a typical day for me! Each week brings a new production, so I begin by welcoming the touring show’s company manager, attending the first performance and hosting the cast and company afterwards.

Newcastle Theatre Royal is an independent, not-for-profit charitable trust, so a significant portion of my time is dedicated to managing relationships with our stakeholders and supporters.

Ensuring we keep on track to fulfil our strategic plan and deliver our charitable objectives also occupies much of my time.

I lead on the creative programme here, so my day might involve meeting producers and scheduling future shows (I’m currently programming shows two to three years in advance).

When I’m not at the theatre, regular visits to London ensure I can assess potential touring shows and meet up with West End producers to discuss future collaborations.

You’re passionate about the life-changing potential of arts and culture. How can regional institutions like Newcastle Theatre Royal act as catalysts for social and cultural change?

Regional theatres like ours are vital for providing cultural and creative opportunities to local communities.

We bring world-class, large-scale theatre to the region; we bring audiences together, so they can enjoy the very best theatre on their doorstep.

Beyond performances, our creative engagement programme includes people of all ages and abilities, and we’re passionate about theatre’s potential to enhance wellbeing through performing arts projects, fostering belonging and making a meaningful impact on communities.

As part of this, a focus for us is ensuring talent development opportunities in the creative sector are made available here in the North East.

The theatre industry has faced many hurdles in recent years. How can regional theatres remain resilient and adaptable in the face of unforeseen challenges?

Since the pandemic, we have had to adapt our business model to focus on financial, operational and workforce resilience.

We are very fortunate to have a loyal audience at Newcastle Theatre Royal – which we are very grateful for – but, as an independent, not-forprofit organisation, without regular funding, ticket sales remain the core foundation of our financial stability.

Improving resilience comes from adapting our operations and diversifying income streams by seeking new revenue from hospitality, commercial operations, fundraising and grants, to support our creative engagement programme.

Reduced cultural education in schools means many young people don’t realise the breadth of opportunities available to them in the creative industries.

Improving access to feed the talent and workforce pipeline for the theatre sector is essential.

The current renewed focus on cultural education is promising, but it requires sustained investment and is a key element of our creative engagement programme.

What are some key lessons you’ve learned throughout your career that you can share with the next generation?

The journey to artistic success can sometimes be messy and difficult; it’s never linear and is always unpredictable.

To succeed, you have to be adaptable, flexible and enjoy finding creative solutions to the most unusual scenarios.

I’ve always viewed working in theatre as a vocation.

In my experience, people with the most successful careers in theatre never start from a position of financial gain, fame or profile; to succeed, you need to find that generosity of spirit and the passion about creativity and culture that drives you.

And always be curious; understanding the different skills required across a multitude of roles will stand you in good stead.

Finally, see as much theatre as possible!

I have seen virtually every show, every week, in every theatre I have worked in (for the last 25 years). The more you see, the better your knowledge and expertise.

What are your long-term goals for the theatre, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Our vision is to create a love of theatre that lasts a lifetime.

We have an ambitious creative programme, both on and off stage, and we’re building on the success of this to collaborate with partners and expand our reach and impact across the region while supporting the creative community of the North East to develop and bring new and exciting collaborations to the stage.

Our landmark theatre is in the heart of Newcastle, and we want our building to be open to more people, more of the time.

We’re looking at how we can use all the space in our Grade I-listed building over the coming years to achieve this.

Can you share any upcoming shows or events that you’re particularly excited about?

Earlier this year, we announced our first co-production in more than a decade, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), and, hot on its heels, announced another – Gerry & Sewell.

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) (between Thursday, September 19 and Saturday, September 28) returns after its 2023 sold-out run, which received five-star reviews and standing ovations, while local success story Gerry & Sewell (Wednesday, October 2 to Saturday, October 5), represents an example of how rich our region is in storytelling.

Ensuring these narratives are represented in our programme, and performed on our stage, is incredibly important to me.

Auditions for both productions took place at the theatre earlier in the year, supporting our ongoing ambition to firmly position Newcastle Theatre Royal at the forefront of cultural creativity and talent development in the region.

A huge amount of work has been undertaken by the team to bring the productions to life on our stage, and I can’t wait for our audiences to see the final performances.

www.theatreroyal.co.uk