Blowing our own Trumpet

As I think I have mentioned before the 2007 / 2008 season is surpassing all expectations, with every show exceeding audience and income targets and the two most recent productions smashing all previous box office records at the Octagon. A Christmas Carol became the most successful production ever in Box Office terms at the Octagon Theatre, bringing in £220,000, (five years ago the Christmas production yielded £69,000). Following the festive fun, The Crucible opened to the highest Box Office figures for a non-Christmas show in the Theatre’s 40 year history and closed to a record high of £100,000. Schools travelled from as far as the Midlands and South Wales to attend this production of an Arthur Miller classic.

John Blackmore, Executive Director at the Octagon, says:

'This record-breaking season is the culmination of a staggering resurgence of the Octagon’s fortunes since 2000. Tribute must be paid to all those who have worked imaginatively, creatively and with outstanding dedication to lift the Octagon to its current level of achievement. None of this could have happened without the passionate support of our patrons, who have turned out in ever increasing numbers, our principal patron Sue Hodgkiss, and our principal sponsor the University of Bolton. It has been an inspiring experience to see and feel the love and appreciation in which the Octagon is held by our community and those who have worked here, as exemplified by this 40th anniversary season.'

The season was made up of four World Premieres; Lisa’s Sex Strike, which was a co-production with Northern Broadsides, And Did Those Feet, Meet the Mukherjees and the specially re-commissioned end of season show Once Upon a Time in Wigan – LIVE!, as well as featuring classics such as Oh What a Lovely War and The Crucible. And Did Those Feet won Best New Play at the Manchester Evening News Awards and Lisa’s Sex Strike toured nationally, following its triumphant run at the beginning of the Octagon’s 40th Anniversary Season.

Jim Cartwright’s Road opens at the Octagon on Thursday 6 March, having already exceeded its closing target.