CEOs Pivotal Role in Theatre’s Success

blackpoolgrand.co.uk

Blackpool Grand Theatre chief executive officer, Ruth Eastwood, is soon to make her final curtain call.

After eight ‘magic’ years as custodian of Blackpool’s iconic Grade II Frank Matcham venue – it is time for another new chapter in the theatre’s rich history.

With the new year comes a new challenge and a return for Ruth to her freelance career. She will hand over the reins to experienced theatre director Adam Knight, who will join the team this spring.

Modest of her talents, Ruth has been no mere player in her time on the Fylde Coast – having been instrumental in steering the way through what is arguably one of entertainment industry’s biggest evolutions amidst a global pandemic that halted nearly all live performances for 18 months.

Lockdown restrictions resulted in the closure of all UK theatres. The Blackpool Grand Theatre shut the doors in March 2020 and welcomed back its first live audiences in September 2021.

A beacon of positivity throughout, despite the challenges, Ruth says the ‘silver lining is in reach.’

She says: “Despite the difficulties, my time here has been lovely. The Grand Theatre is embedded in the life of the town and it’s been my job as custodian to care for it for a time, as have so many others before me for 128 years.

“I’m a little moment in the history, hopefully so that the theatre can carry on for another 125 years. I’m so proud to have played a part.”

Much like the fabric of entertainment is embedded in the north-west resort – the wonder of theatre continues to stir every emotion in Ruth, even after a complete transformation in working practices.

She admits “We’ve been through them all. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, felt every emotion sat in that majestic auditorium.

“I have three different ways I can walk into that building each morning, every day I’ve been there I’ve chosen the route through the auditorium – there are few theatres that give you that feeling when empty, they don’t have that soul – the Grand, it’s a special place.”

“But what perhaps we never realised whilst we had our heads down in the business of it, was that perhaps without that time we would never have adopted these new ways of working and made the amazing changes we have. “Admittedly at times, it nearly finished us – it was so tough. Cancelling a pantomime and making a film version within three weeks; losing an entire working team bar 15.

“We spent 2020 working to survive, 2021 planning and now in 2022, we need to start coping and we are just so fortunate the grant support was there to put in us a better position. There is now that silver lining we were looking to.”

Ruth, although readying to exit left, is still busy setting the stage before she takes her final bow.

A sell-out pantomime season and a complete 52-show run was a welcome tonic for the whole cast, production and theatre team and Ruth described the return of the tradition as ‘absolutely fantastic.’

She says: “There will always be year on year something in pantomime that without fail makes you laugh and to see the audiences enjoying it again was just wonderful. That’s what we wanted to do, be able to share something again.”

With the festive season now over, Ruth is once again head down ready to work on another big bid for the Art Council’s three-year support programme and ensuring all is in place for the launch of the new season.

“I am leaving the Grand in the most capable of hands, none of this would ever have been possible without the efforts of such a fantastic, dedicated team who I am so grateful for.

“But also, Adam is a fantastic appointment. He is a theatre man, with all the knowledge and expertise and brings with him an extensive network of contacts, having worked in very similar venues and he will be ready to put his own stamp on the role and move things forward.”

Ruth admits it was the Grand’s presence and a love story of her own that was one of the big draws to the Fylde Coast when she stepped into the role in 2013; having previously been CEO at the Leicester Theatre Trust, overseeing the development of the stateof-the-art modern age Curve Theatre.

It’s been an absolute privilege to be part of this team and lead on the success of this much-loved theatre

Ruth Eastwood

Ruth, who hails from Watford, adds: “I wanted that intimacy ‘magic’, nitty-gritty of the theatre again and it is such a lovely building. What was so great was the recognition among the team of its assets – the passion for story, dancing and music that they wanted to share beyond the stage. It’s an English hub in the town.

“But funny enough I’d been working with a touring company in 1989, where we did a summer season at the Grand in Blackpool and that is where I first met my partner, Roger. He is retiring later this year and we both have milestone birthdays approaching and it just all sort of felt like this was the natural, practical time to move on.”

The couple have returned to their Leicestershire home and are looking forward to exciting travel plans in the coming months to sunnier climes.

She laughs: “One thing I wasn’t quite so prepared for when we moved to the north was the weather – it was the first time ever I’d had to buy a pair of waterproof trousers!”

Even with the showers, Ruth says there has been a full show reel of highlights not least the milestone of 2019 when the theatre marked its 125th birthday.

She adds: “That year was spectacular for the theatre, but commissioning and putting on our first in-house production ‘Around the World in 80s Days,’ that, I’ve got to say is probably what I’m most proud of.

“From the beginning to the end of the process was just so much fun and the feedback was just so wonderful. There’s been so many highlights – the capital project is another one.

“So much work has been done on helping the theatre fulfil it’s potential. Moving and opening the box office and sales into the shop next door to the theatre, proved a Godsend during the lockdown and the masterplan is to provide much better access throughout the entire building in the future.” Besides the workings in and around the theatre – there has also been a huge focus behind the scenes in taking theatre to the people.

Ruth says: “It’s fantastic the programmes we have built together with partners and the communities we now work with from young people, those with learning disabilities, social workers, older people, the disenfranchised to the LGBTQ+ community.

“Celine Wyatt, our head for creative learning has done such amazing job in helping our projects fulfil their potential.

“We identified very early on that theatre language is not the same to the language in many other sectors but taking the time we found so many other things in common and it’s been great to see these projects make a real difference.

“In the spring we have Animal Farm which is a tour in partnership with The Children’s Theatre Partnership and we’re working with theatres in Canterbury, Coventry, Norwich to Newcastle with our workshops and foundation of tools and resources. The Grand is being recognised and is relevant across the whole of England.”

Ruth recalls her own introduction to theatre as a young child and memorably first watching a performance of Canterbury Tales at school.

“I was effectively forced to watch it but just found the whole thing magical and remember thinking immediately afterwards, this is what I want to do.

“That’s the importance of the arts, it comes by introduction, somebody has to take you for the experience, the event – it’s not something you wake up and think you’ll do but often we’ll remember a time we were taken.

“When you see children engaging with live theatre, you understand how much they take away from it.” Looking ahead Ruth adds: “It’s been an absolute privilege to be part of this team and lead on the success of this much-loved theatre.

“I just want to say a big thank you to everybody – it would never have worked without such a dedicated team supporting me and I’m just delighted we can now come out the other side a much better organisation ready for the future.”

Since the theatre was forced to shut its doors, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she has secured more than 1m of financial support to invest in rebuilding the business and re-opening later this year.

Adam Knight

As previously announced, 2022 will also bring a new chief executive Adam Knight. Adam joins the Grand from HQ Theatres and the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe, where he is currently theatre director.

Adam Knight said: ‘It’s a great privilege to be offered the chance to take over the reins at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre. Not only is it one of the country’s most iconic heritage assets, but it’s also a vibrant, bold and ambitious organisation committed to creating opportunities for all kinds of people to enjoy, participate and learn through theatre.

“Theatre is my passion, and I look forward to sharing that passion with audiences, artists and staff at the Grand Theatre’.

For more information and to find out what’s on go to blackpoolgrand.co.uk

Picture caption: (From left-right) John Grady, Chairman of Friends of the Winter Gardens; Ruth Eastwood, Chief Executive of Blackpool Grand Theatre; Roger Lloyd-Jones, Chairman of the Blackpool Grand Theatre Trust; Amanda Thompson OBE, Patron of the Blackpool Grand Theatre; Anthony Stone, Chairman of the Blackpool Grand Theatre, celebrating 125 years of the theatre, built by Frank Matcham.