Theatre festival stages financial revival despite fall in sales

The Dublin Theatre Festival’s finances staged a mini-revival last year in spite of a 41 per cent decline in ticket sales, according to accounts just filed with the companies office.

Total income for Dublin Theatre Festival Ltd, which is chaired by London City Airport boss Declan Collier, fell by 15 per cent to €1.9 million in 2013. Within this figure, ticket revenue fell to €450,568 last year from €769,621 in 2012.

However, a reduction in its costs of €343,000 helped the festival company to record a surplus last year of €12,598, more than three times the level achieved in 2012. This trimmed its accumulated losses to €80,903 from €93,501 in the previous year.

Fewer performances

Willie White, the festival's artistic director and chief executive, said the reduced ticket income last year was the result of fewer performances being staged compared with 2012.

“For example, we put on 22 performances in the Gaiety in 2012 but it was 12 last year,” he said. “We had fewer resources to put on shows.”

The festival has been without a title sponsor since Ulster Bank’s contract expired in 2011. “We could put on more work if we have more sponsorship,” Mr While said.

The festival company's accounts show that its funding from the Arts Council

was down by 0.6 per cent to €766,000 while sponsorship amounted to €325,656 compared with €330,133 in 2012.

‘Increased offering’

Mr White expressed confidence that ticket sales this year would increase: “Sales are much, much stronger than last year. We have a slightly increased offering . . . I would be more confident that income will be up.”

The curtain will rise on the 2014 festival on September 25th, with a staging of Hamlet at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, a venue that is being used by the organisers for the first time.