Ticket sales for Scottish theatre '200 per cent higher' than last year
Perth and Kinross councillors were given an update on the impact of the investment and other local Tay Cities Region Deal projects at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday, May 7.
PKC's People, Partnerships and Funding manager Alison Seggie began the update by giving a presentation to councillors on Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
She said: 'Work started on developing this project way back in 2013 and I have been involved all along.
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'The total cost of the project is something like £21.3 million – £10 million of that from the Tay Cities Deal. Additional money came from the Dunard Fund, The Gannochy Trust and numerous individual donors.
'Pitlochry Festival Theatre is proud to share the completion of its ambitious project marking a significant milestone in the theatre's development and its role as a major cultural destination in the Highlands.'
Councillors were told the theatre was 'reaping the rewards of the investment'. The £21 million revamp included a new-look entrance, a fully completed second performance space – The Studio, the newly expanded foyer, brand new toilets, a refurbished auditorium, as well as new glazing and a new roof to improve energy efficiency.
Ms Seggie told elected members: 'In the 2024/25 financial year, the theatre welcomed 82,237 visitors. And – notably – in the current advanced ticket sales for this year, they're already 200 per cent ahead of the same point in the previous season – a clear endorsement of the investment in the building, the refreshed offer and the theatre's strategic direction.
'With the capital transformation now complete and a new chapter in the theatre's artistic leadership about to begin, Pitlochry Festival Theatre is confidently positioned to drive further cultural tourism and economic benefits for Perth and Kinross.'
Alan Cumming took over as the theatre's artistic director in January 2025 (Image: Pitlochry Festival Theatre)
Alan Cumming took over as the theatre's artistic director in January 2025. His first programmed season will begin in 2026.
Other Perth and Kinross projects which have benefited from investment from the Tay Cities Region Deal include: £35 million on the International Barley Hub and £27m on the Advanced Plant Growth Centre at the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie; £10 million towards Perth Museum; £2 million on rural high-speed broadband in Angus and Perth and Kinross, and £790,000 for the first phase of creating a Low Carbon Travel Hub at Broxden, Perth.
Moving the report for approval, SNP council leader Grant Laing said: 'This report provides an update on progress with the Tay Cities Region Deal. The Deal was approved in December 2020 and has now moved into its fifth year of implementation.
'The Deal, and the projects and programmes within the Deal, represent the most significant investment in the economic development of our area in recent times.
'Good progress is being made and key projects which will deliver significant economic benefits have already been delivered within Perth and Kinross and the wider Tay Cities region.
'However, a significant number of projects remain to be fully developed, and gain business case approval. Several challenges to the delivery of the Deal and its projects have arisen over the first five-year funding period; including the impact of the COVID Pandemic, and inflationary pressures on some projects; these have led to delays in progressing business cases.
'An approach to re-shaping the programme has been agreed by the Joint Committee recently, and officers will have to confirm whether projects are still deliverable in their original format, require some changes, or may have to be de-committed, and potentially new projects proposed and agreed. This will take place over a 12-month period with a new programme to be finalised by the summer of next year and agreed with partners, and both governments.'
Two of the Tay Cities Region Deal projects still to be fully developed include £8.1 million earmarked for an Aviation Academy at UHI Perth and £15 million towards the long-awaited Perth Bus/Rail Interchange.
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