The Kings Theatre, Gloucester is part of a national initiative launched by Theatres Trust to prevent the permanent closure of hundreds of UK theatres.

Kings is run solely by volunteers from the Management Committee through to staffing front of house. We are Crowdfunding to ensure that the only theatre in Gloucester can keep offering a variety of productions for the people of Gloucester and beyond. We had been working towards a big refurbishment to our front of house area but with the lockdown all our plans have had to be put on hold. 

Why are we crowdfunding?

Our theatre risks permanent closure because our income stream has completely ceased but we are still have outgoings for utilities, insurance, rent, ongoing maintenance and works we had agreed to prior to lockdown.. 

The Kings Theatre is an important community building for Gloucester and without it there would not be any theatre performance space available in the City. We had just begun to build a relationship with another charity called Strike a Light, who work to bring a variety of performers to new audiences. This would mean Kings could offer fantastic multicultural performances to the stage for everyone to enjoy.

To keep offering wonderful productions and performances, Kings have been working towards refurbishing our front of house area. The theatre opened in 1987 and the layout and decor has remained the same ever since. The refurbishment will improve the space, making it larger, introducing a seating area, a disabled toilet, better technology, improved storage space and reconfiguration of the bar area.

Your donations and purchases of our rewards will be used to support our little theatre get through this difficult time and improve our facilities to enable us to keep offering the people of Gloucester a wonderful variety of productions in a welcoming environment with warm, friendly staff.

PLEASE SUPPORT US BY DONATING OR BUYING OF OUR REWARDS

Our plaque reward for £50 - the plaque will be on the seat for five years, so a bargain at £10 a year! Renewable if you wish to continue your support.

Our Annual Membership Card reward for £30 giving you 10% off all bar purchases for one year. Renewable if you wish to continue your support.

Our 'I Helped To Save The Kings Theatre' mug. Yours for just £10! Why not buy one for all the family!! 

YOUR SUPPORT NO MATTER HOW LARGE OR SMALL WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED

About The Kings Theatre

The Kings Theatre is run by and for the people of Gloucester as a venue for amateur theatre, dance, music and hopefully in the near future comedy nights.

Run entirely by volunteers, it is a unique and valuable asset to the city's cultural life. Seating 144, it is home to several local groups, staging a full season of entertainment, including dramas, comedies and pantos', from September to July. 

Tucked just off Eastgate Street, close to the heart of Gloucester City Centre it has been described as 'a little gem of a theatre'. Over recent years we have diversified into live music with performances from tribute acts such as Paul Molloy as Elvis, Mitchell Joseph Thompson as Michael Jackson and Annette Gregory singing a variety of jazz numbers, by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald. We have also had tribute acts to ABBA and Fleetwood Mac and more tribute acts are planned for 2021.

COMMUNITY

In our work with the community we provide performance space for schools to put on fantastic shows for their family and friends. Without the theatre this would not be possible.  The children really enjoy their experience at the theatre, as for most it will be the first time they have performed on a 'proper stage'. Supporting this campaign would mean that more children could enjoy the same experience and maybe even become famous one day!

As mentioned above we are going to be working closely with Strike a Light who want to see Gloucester bursting with incredible theatre and dance. Kings can support them in achieving this by providing a space where creative experiences can bring communities together, make life vibrant and exciting and change things for the better. These events are for EVERYONE.

Another area we are hoping to support is working with companies that offer young people volunteering opportunities. These young people would be able to learn new skills be working in our front of house area, alongside experience volunteers.

Please donate or buy one of our fantastic rewards, share this page widely and do what you can to help us to make sure our theatre survive this crisis. 

This is some of our front of house team (past and present) with Paul Molloy.

About Save Our Theatres

In villages, towns and cities across the country, theatres are at the heart of their community. Places to come together, to be inspired and be entertained. Theatres are where our best-loved actors learn their craft and thousands of others learn valuable skills. 

But we risk losing this forever.

Theatres saw their main source of income disappear in an instant when they closed in March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Six months later, we still don’t know when they will be able to reopen fully. A decision won’t be made until November at the earliest – too late for most to put on their annual pantomime, which often provides the income to support the theatre for the rest of the year.

This ongoing uncertainty puts theatres in a perilous situation. The government’s bailout is spread across all cultural organisations and certainly won’t be enough to save all of the UK’s theatres.

Every day theatres are facing the tough decision to make staff redundant and to close their doors until next year. And there is a real risk that those closures could be permanent. 

Without urgent support, we could lose our nation’s amazing theatres. Please help us to make sure our theatres survive this crisis and will be there to be enjoyed by future generations.

#SaveOurTheatres 

Please donate, share this page widely and do what you can to help us to make sure our theatre survive this crisis.