Apollo Theatre Company

What Apollo Theatre Company does

Apollo Theatre Company is a private, founder-owned touring theatre company based in Guildford, Surrey, that produces and tours classic radio comedy revivals, adaptations of literary and WWII-themed plays, and original productions across the UK. Founded in 2010 by Tim Astley, a Guildford School of Acting graduate, the company has staged 15+ productions over 15 years, including the UK's first major tours of Hancock's Half Hour (40 venues in 2019) and The Goon Show (2018, with Spike Milligan Productions), and the 50th/60th anniversary tours of Round the Horne. Its product portfolio spans adult comedies and dramas, a children's theatre vertical (The Snow Queen, Just So Stories, A Christmas Carol), and accessibility-focused work such as the bilingual English/BSL production Lilies on the Land.

The company's business model is fundamentally asset-light and event-driven: it produces no proprietary venue infrastructure, instead partnering with mid-market regional theatres (Yvonne Arnaud, Theatre Royal Brighton, Stephen Joseph Theatre), London's Museum of Comedy, and festival circuits (Edinburgh, Ventnor Fringe, Guildford Fringe) to host touring shows. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales governed by host-venue pricing, supplemented by Arts Council England public funding (e.g., 2022 Lilies on the Land grant) and co-production agreements with rights-holding partners such as Hambledon Productions. Distribution relies on relationships with venue programmers and festival selection committees, alongside earned media through regional press coverage and an organic-social presence on Twitter, Facebook, and a company blog.

Its core strategic assets are an adaptable library of classic-IP rights, Tim Astley's creative direction, and an established touring infrastructure across 40+ UK venues. There is no technology platform or proprietary software product; the underlying capability is creative IP development and live production logistics, with founders (Tim Astley and collaborator Amy Hamlen) serving as the principal creative engines. Headcount is small (11-50), consistent with a project-based model that scales cast and crew per tour.

Name

Apollo Theatre Company

Legal name

Apollo Theatre Company

Website

https://apollotheatrecompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Apollo Theatre Company is a private UK touring theatre company based in Guildford that produces and tours classic radio comedy revivals, WWII-themed plays, original dramas, and children's productions to 40+ regional UK venues, festivals, and London's Museum of Comedy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre Productions

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Classic radio comedy
• Touring theatre company
• Literary adaptations stage
• Children's theatre productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Guildford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Theatre Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales at touring theatre productions performed at venues across the UK, including theatre festivals, regional theatre tours, and extended runs at venues like London's Museum of Comedy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Apollo Theatre Company is a professional touring theatre company that produces and performs classic radio comedy adaptations, literary works, original WWII-themed plays, tribute shows, and children's theatre across the UK. Productions tour to 40+ regional venues and have included extended London runs at the Museum of Comedy and festival performances at Edinburgh, Ventnor, and Guildford.

Product overview

Apollo Theatre Company is a professional theatre company based in Guildford, Surrey producing classic and original plays and comedies. The company operates across multiple production categories: classic radio comedy revivals (Round the Horne, The Goon Show, Hancock's Half Hour, Steptoe & Son), adaptations of literary works (Carrie's War, Our Town, Blue Remembered Hills, The Dumb Waiter), original productions (Keep the Home Fires Burning, Cult Figure: Kenneth Williams), tribute shows (Ode to Joyce), bilingual productions (Lilies on the Land with BSL), and a children's theatre department producing adaptations of classic stories (The Snow Queen, Just So Stories, A Christmas Carol). The company tours productions extensively across the UK and has performed at London's Museum of Comedy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Round the Horne Stage adaptation of the classic BBC radio comedy Round the Horne, toured multiple times across the UK and the venue for an extended eight-week run at London's Museum of Comedy; a sixth tour is scheduled for 2025 celebrating 60 years of the show.
• Hancock's Half Hour Stage adaptation of the classic BBC radio sitcom regarded as one of the greatest radio comedies of all time; the 2019 tour played a record 40 venues across the UK.
• The Goon Show First major theatrical production in the history of the classic BBC radio comedy; co-produced with Spike Milligan Productions for the Spike Milligan centenary year.
• The Steptoe & Son Radio Show Stage adaptation of three original episodes from the classic BBC sitcom Steptoe & Son, co-produced with Hambledon Productions.
• Carry On Ladies New touring show celebrating the Carry On film franchise, scheduled to debut in 2025.
• Ode to Joyce Tribute show recreating the stage performances of Joyce Grenfell with songs, monologues, and rare material; toured from Edinburgh Festival 2022.
• Cult Figure: Kenneth Williams Original biographical production about the life of actor Kenneth Williams, told through his own words, anecdotes, and archival material.
• Keep the Home Fires Burning Company's first original production written by and starring Amy Hamlen, focusing on women's contributions during WWII.
• Carrie's War Stage adaptation of Nina Bawden's classic WWII novel about evacuees, which toured to 12 venues.
• Our Town 75th anniversary UK tour of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning American classic play.
• Blue Remembered Hills Stage adaptation of Dennis Potter's play about childhood in the Forest of Dean during WWII; the company's first touring production.
• The Dumb Waiter Sir Harold Pinter's play, the company's debut production played at The Mill Studio, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, in 2010 to sell-out audiences.
• Lilies on the Land Bilingual English and British Sign Language production about the Women's Land Army during WWII, supported by National Lottery funding through Arts Council England.
• The Code Breaker Original production about Alan Turing's life, achievements, and personal life, created for Guildford Book Festival and later revived for Guildford Fringe Festival.
• The Snow Queen Original adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's story created for children's theatre audiences.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hambledon ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-production partnership for The Steptoe & Son Radio Show. Hambledon Productions specializes in radio comedy adaptations (also producing Just Like That! The Tommy Cooper Show). The partnership combines Apollo's expertise in radio comedy theatre with Hambledon's established catalogue.
• Spike Milligan ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership to commemorate Spike Milligan's centenary year with the first ever UK tour of The Goon Show. Spike Milligan Productions granted theatrical rights for this major production.
• London Museum of ComedycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Hosted extended eight-week run of Round the Horne production. The Museum of Comedy provides venue access and promotion to London audiences for touring productions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Headlong Theatre: Major UK touring theatre company producing contemporary and adapted classics across the UK; comparable in touring business model but materially larger in scale and funding profile.
• Kneehigh Theatre: Cornwall-based UK touring theatre company known for innovative and accessible productions touring nationally; comparable in touring model and original-IP focus, though larger and more established.
• Illyria Theatre: UK touring theatre company specialising in Shakespeare, classics, and family-friendly adaptations performed at outdoor and indoor venues; comparable in tour-only model, family programming, and small-team operations.
• English Touring Theatre: Established UK touring theatre company producing classic and contemporary work across regional venues; comparable in touring-theatre model, though typically larger in scale and public subsidy profile than Apollo.
• Rain Or Shine Theatre Company: Independent UK touring theatre company producing Shakespeare and classic adaptations for regional and outdoor venues; comparable in small-team touring structure and classic-IP focus.
• Original Theatre Company: UK-based touring theatre company producing classic plays, thrillers, and comedy productions for regional venues — directly comparable in size, touring model, and genre mix to Apollo Theatre Company.
• Blackeyed Theatre: Small-to-mid UK touring theatre company producing drama, classics, and adaptations for regional venues; closely comparable headcount and touring scale to Apollo.
• Chapterhouse Theatre Company: UK touring theatre company producing classic, family, and outdoor productions including literary adaptations; comparable in scale, family programming, and regional touring footprint.
• Selladoor Productions: UK-based producing company specialising in touring musicals and family-friendly productions across regional venues; comparable touring business model with overlap on classic-IP adaptations.
• New Old Friends Theatre Company: Small UK touring theatre company producing comedy and adapted classic work for regional venues; highly comparable in headcount, comedy focus, and tour-only distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ApolloTheatreCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/ApolloTheatreCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apollo-theatre-company-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Apollo Theatre Company