Shakespeare North seeks naming partner for funding

Shakespeare North Playhouse says it is looking for a naming rights partner in what is believed to be the first deal of its kind for a regional theatre in the UK.

The venue, a replica Shakespearean theatre that opened in Prescot, Merseyside, in 2022, said it wanted a deal similar to those for many sport grounds to "support the theatre's ambitions over the next decade".

It said the partnership could "exceed £300,000 annually" against a "challenging" financial backdrop, after an 18% fall in core funding nationally.

The theatre's chief executive Lisa Allen told BBC Radio Merseyside there was no risk of the theatre closing down "but I would say that we are very reliant on Knowsley Council".

"I would like us to be less so - so we should find alternative funding streams," she added.

Ms Allen said that in her 30-year career in the arts, Knowsley Council had "been the most supportive council I have ever worked with".

"It would be nice to not have to rely on them for as much support because Knowsley is the second-most deprived area in the country."

Prominent actors such as Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and Stephen Graham have appeared at the theatre, which cost £38m to build and has hosted more than 300,000 visitors - 10% of whom had never visited a theatre before, the venue has said.

The venue received £10.5m during its development from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, with mayor Steve Rotheram recently saying: "In a short space of time, it's made an incredible impact on the local community and it's my hope that it will continue to inspire, educate, and bring people together for generations to come."

Ms Allen said they hoped to confirm a naming partner in 2026 in what theatre publication The Stage called "a significant shift in arts funding".

Prescot is believed to have been the site of the only purpose-built Elizabethan theatre outside London, which is thought to have existed in the 1590s.

The original theatre hosted performances of works by William Shakespeare and was made possible by the Earl of Derby, who lived at Knowsley Hall.

Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said he wanted residents to benefit from "access to culture and the arts".

He called the potential naming rights deal a "really innovative project and something that in time we think could also help to support the future of other regional theatres too – which can only be a good thing".

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