Renowned English theatre operator and producer, Sir Howard Panter, has set his sights on Newcastle as a place to bring Broadway productions following the record-breaking season of Come From Away at the Civic Theatre
Sir Howard’s company, Trafalgar Entertainment, owns 16 theatres across Europe and is responsible for producing major theatre shows like Jersey Boys, The Rocky Horror Show, Jagged Little Pill, 42nd Street, and War Horse.
After seeing over 21,500 theatregoers head to the Hunter for the extended run of Come From Away, Sir Howard thought he’d visit the city to see what all the fuss was about.
During the visit, the theatre mogul and his team checked out the Civic Theatre and the heritage-listed Victoria Theatre which is currently undergoing a $5 million restoration project.
“So many people have told me that I have to come to Newcastle. I was promised a mature, heritage city built on both the harbour and the coastline. Having now finally made my way here, I must say I’ve been blown away by what Newcastle has to offer,” Sir Howard said.
“To have a theatre of the size and grandeur of the Civic Theatre next to a new five-star hotel with light rail access on its doorstep, and a plethora of fine dining options on offer at Honeysuckle, it’s about as close to ‘theatre heaven’ as it gets.
“The Civic has that old-world European feel to it that just adds to the sense of time travel that great theatre shows can take their audience on. I couldn’t be more keen to bring a Broadway show to Newcastle and hope we have some exciting news to share with the city in the next few months.”
City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath met with Sir Howard and said discussions to bring Trafalgar’s first show to the Civic Theatre are well advanced.
“The reinvention of Newcastle as a cosmopolitan, thriving major events city has been known for some time to entertainment and producers throughout Australia. The record-breaking local staging of Come From Away has grabbed the attention of international theatre producers such as Trafalgar, who recognise the burgeoning theatre demand that exists in Newcastle, and the Hunter,” Mr Bath said.
Watch this space…
