What Yvonne Arnaud Theatre does

The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a registered charity (The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Trust, charity no. 200500; operating company The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Management Limited, charity no. 238436 / company no. 814453) operating the only producing theatre in Surrey, England, from a Grade II listed riverside venue opened in 1965 in Guildford. The venue runs two performance spaces — the 580-seat Main House and the 80-seat Mill Studio (housed in a converted 18th-century mill) — supplemented by the River Room, Vanbrugh Room, Meeting Room, Stalls Bar, and the Riverbank Kitchen café for venue hire and events. Programming spans drama, comedy, musicals, opera, dance, family productions, an annual pantomime (currently Sleeping Beauty), and an in-house Creative Learning programme including children's music classes (Little Notes) and storytelling sessions. The theatre produces its own shows and tours nationally, having reached 16+ UK venues in recent years with productions such as Party Games!, Houdini's Greatest Escape, The Comedy of Errors, and A Company of Rascals.

The underlying technology stack is conventional theatrical infrastructure (stage equipment, lighting, sound, scenic cloths and pantomime props for hire), standard e-commerce (24/7 online box office, Theatre Tokens acceptance, Preoday for F&B pre-orders, PCI-DSS payment processing), and Google Analytics for audience measurement; anonymised ticketing data is shared with The Audience Agency and UK Theatre for sector research. The business model is multi-stream: ticket sales (including booking fees of up to £2.50 per ticket and a Theatre Restoration Levy of up to £2), venue and room hire, on-site catering, tiered individual memberships and donations (Friends £350/year, Vanbrugh Supporters £180-£5,000/year, Guardian Angels monthly giving, Legacies, Name a Seat), corporate sponsorship (Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers reaching 128,000+ annual visitors), and grants from approximately 20 charitable trusts and foundations plus annual revenue funding from Guildford Borough Council. The theatre explicitly receives no national Arts Council funding. A £3 million capital campaign (Play Your Part, completed 2025) funded by Surrey County Council's Your Fund Surrey delivered accessibility upgrades and new community spaces. Customer segments span individual theatregoers and families (primary), schools and education providers, corporate clients (venue hire and sponsorship), community/charity partners, and private-event clients.

Name

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Legal name

The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Management Limited

Website

https://yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a registered charity and the only producing theatre in Surrey, England, operating a 580-seat Main House and 80-seat Mill Studio from a 1965 Grade II listed Guildford venue. It produces and tours live theatre nationally, runs creative learning and community programmes, and serves families, schools, corporate clients, and community groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Regional producing theatre
• Live performance venue
• Pantomime productions
• Venue hire events
• Creative learning programme

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for productions in the Main House and Mill Studio, including own productions, touring shows, and pantomime. Revenue supplemented by booking fees.
2. Venue and Room Hire: Hire of theatre spaces including Main Auditorium (up to 580 seats), Mill Studio (up to 80 seats), River Room, Meeting Room, Vanbrugh Room, Stalls Bar, and Riverbank Kitchen for corporate events, conferences, weddings, and parties.
3. Catering and Food Service: On-site catering through Riverbank Kitchen offering breakfast, daytime menus, evening pre-show dining, charcuterie boards, and event catering.
4. Individual Donations and Memberships: Friends Membership (£50/year), Vanbrugh Supporters (various tiers from £180 to £5,000), Guardian Angels (recurring monthly donations), Legacies (bequests in Wills), and one-time donations. Membership includes priority booking, discounts, and exclusive access benefits.
5. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate Supporter packages offering brand alignment with specific shows, logo placement in season brochures and website, advertising, complimentary tickets, pre-show events. Tiers include Gold, Silver, and Bronze partners. Annual reach of over 128,000 visitors.
6. Trust and Foundation Grants: Grants from charitable trusts and foundations supporting Creative Learning Programme and specific projects. Includes support from organisations such as The Slater Foundation, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Backstage Trust, Surrey County Council, and others.
7. Government Funding: Annual revenue funding from Guildford Borough Council as core operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a registered charity that produces and presents live theatre performances from its 580-seat Main House and 80-seat Mill Studio in Guildford, including an annual pantomime and nationally-toured original productions. Beyond ticketed performances, the venue operates an in-house restaurant (Riverbank Kitchen), hires out multiple rooms for corporate and private events, and runs a Creative Learning programme of workshops and classes for children, schools and community groups.

Product overview

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a registered charity and the only producing venue in Surrey, offering a diverse portfolio of entertainment and community engagement activities. The theatre operates two performance spaces: the Main House (Main Stage) with 580-seat capacity for larger productions, and the Mill Studio with 80-seat capacity for intimate performances. The venue also offers multiple hireable spaces including the River Room, Vanbrugh Room, Meeting Room, Stalls Bar, and Riverbank Kitchen. The theatre produces acclaimed annual pantomimes (Sleeping Beauty) and tours productions nationally. Additional offerings include room hire and events services, membership programmes (Friends, Vanbrugh Supporters with tiered levels, Director's Circle), and support initiatives (Guardian Angels regular giving, Legacies, Name a Seat, Corporate Support). The Creative Learning Programme provides workshops, music classes (Little Notes), storytelling (Short Stories, Tall Tales), and educational outreach. The theatre also offers theatrical prop and scenic cloth hire for productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Riverbank Kitchen: On-site café dining space offering breakfast, daytime and evening menus, plus pre-show dining options.
• Vanbrugh Supporters
• Friends Membership
• Play Your Part

Products and services

• Main House (580-seat Performance Venue) The theatre's primary auditorium spanning two floors with seating for up to 580 people, hosting main-stage productions, touring shows, pantomime and large-scale events.
• Mill Studio (80-seat Performance Venue) A smaller performance space with theatre-style seating for up to 80 people, hosting small-scale professional productions, Creative Learning workshops and intimate events. Located in the historic 18th-century Old Town Mill building.
• Venue and Room Hire Hire of theatre spaces including the Main Auditorium (up to 580 seats), Mill Studio (up to 80 seats), River Room (up to 50), Vanbrugh Room (up to 40), Meeting Room (up to 15), and Stalls Bar (up to 40 seated / 100 standing) for corporate events, conferences, weddings, receptions, wakes and private parties.
• Riverbank Kitchen (Restaurant and Catering) The theatre's ground-floor foyer café dining space with floor-to-ceiling windows and riverside terrace access, seating up to 45. Serves breakfast, daytime menus, evening pre-show dining, charcuterie boards (£30–£32) and event catering for hire bookings.
• Annual Pantomime (Sleeping Beauty) The theatre's flagship annual pantomime production featuring dazzling costumes, comedy, song-and-dance numbers and audience participation. Runs December to January each year; the 2026 production is directed by Joanna Read.
• National Touring Productions Theatre-produced or co-produced productions toured nationally to 16+ UK venues including Theatre Royal Windsor, New Theatre Cardiff and Cambridge Arts Theatre. Recent examples include Party Games! (2024, opened May 2024), Houdini's Greatest Escape (co-produced with New Old Friends, 2024), The Comedy of Errors and A Company of Rascals (co-produced with Guildford Shakespeare Company, 2025), Brief Encounter (associate production with New Wolsey Theatre and Wiltshire Creative, 2023), Sheila's Island and Ladies of Letters (2022).
• Scenic Cloths, Pantomime Props and Costume Hire Theatre-specific hire catalogue made available to other regional theatre companies, including painted canvas scenic cloths and backcloths (Westminster, Victorian London, New York Empire State, forest scenes, etc.), pantomime props (comics car, Cinderella's carriage, Aladdin's magic carpet flying system, Jack and the Beanstalk giant, comedy wall), and elaborate dame costumes (£85 per costume per week).
• Creative Learning Programme Community engagement and education programme offering workshops, backstage tours, family events, professional development, creative careers programmes and education outreach for schools, colleges and community groups.
• Little Notes Music Classes Fun-filled term-based music classes for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers in age-grouped sessions (3–14 months, 14 months–2.5 years, 2.5–4.5 years), held in the River Room.
• Short Stories, Tall Tales (Storytelling Sessions) Storytelling sessions for young children held in the Mill Studio as part of the theatre's family programming.
• Friends Membership Annual membership scheme priced at £50/year or £5/month offering priority booking, ticket discounts (£2 off Mon–Thu evenings, £5 off Saturday matinees), 5% Multi-Buy discount, 10% food and drink discount, and free ticket exchange and resale.
• Vanbrugh Supporters Scheme Tiered supporter scheme from £180 to £5,000 per year including priority booking, exclusive events, backstage tours, name listing in brochures and on website, Press Night invitations and an annual private meeting with the Director and Chief Executive at Diamond tier.
• Corporate Support Packages Bespoke corporate supporter packages (Gold, Silver and Bronze tiers) aligning brands with specific shows or community outreach work. Includes membership options, advertising in season brochures and on the website, complimentary tickets, pre-show dinners and logo placement. Reaches over 128,000 annual visitors.
• Director's Circle (Page-to-Stage Experience) An exclusive £1,000 Page-to-Stage experience following the pantomime production from rehearsal to opening night, including visits to the rehearsal room, Director's Briefing, Sitzprobe, Technical Rehearsal, Dress Rehearsal options and Supporters Night with the cast.
• Guardian Angels (Monthly Giving) Regular monthly donation programme providing crucial income for forward planning, with options of £5, £10, £25, £50 or £100 per month.
• Legacies (Gifts in Wills) Legacy gifts programme offering plaque recognition in the theatre for 5 years (up to £5,000), 10 years (£5,000+) or in perpetuity (£20,000+).
• Name a Seat Seat-naming programme to commemorate a loved one or mark a personal connection to the theatre. Options of £500 for 5 years, £1,000 for 10 years, or £5,000 for a 50-year lifetime plaque with up to a 15-word personalised inscription.
• Gift Vouchers Theatre gift vouchers available in any amount, valid for one year and redeemable against show tickets for the Main Stage and Mill Studio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 128,000 visitors annually attending live theatre performances
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guildford Shakespeare CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership for theatrical productions. In 2025, co-produced The Comedy of Errors and companion play A Company of Rascals performed simultaneously in different locations around the theatre. Both shows directed by YAT Director & Chief Executive Joanna Read.
• New Old FriendscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced Houdini's Greatest Escape (2024) in New Old Friends' award-winning physical comedy style. Production premiered at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre before heading on national tour.
• New Wolsey TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate producer for Brief Encounter touring production (2023) alongside Wiltshire Creative, touring to 5 UK venues.
• Wiltshire CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate producer for Brief Encounter touring production (2023) alongside New Wolsey Theatre.
• Saxton BampfyldecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Corporate Partner. Executive search firm providing financial support and brand alignment with theatre. Logo displayed on theatre materials and website.
• Gama AviationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Corporate Partner. Aviation services company providing financial support and brand alignment. Logo displayed on theatre materials and website.
• Jones and TomlincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Corporate Partner. Local furniture retailer in Guildford providing financial support and community investment.
• Harbour Hotels GuildfordminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSilver Corporate Partner and recommended hotel. Hospitality venue directing guests to theatre and providing cross-promotion.
• Holiday Inn GuildfordminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended hotel partner. IHG hotel directing visiting guests to theatre and providing cross-promotion.
• AJ Bennewith and CominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Corporate Partner. Local business providing financial support and community engagement.
• Harding FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Corporate Partner. Financial services firm providing financial support.
• Guildford High SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Corporate Partner. Independent school providing community investment and support.
• WHSmithminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Corporate Partner (TG Jones account). Retailer providing community support.
• House PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Corporate Partner. Local business providing community investment.
• Boundary Real EstateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGala Sponsors. Real estate firm supporting specific theatre events and fundraising galas.
• Surrey Young CarerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual panto partnership providing over 200 funded tickets to young carers. Joint community outreach ensuring theatre access for young people with caring responsibilities.
• The HiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for annual panto ticket programme supporting disadvantaged young people.
• Guildford ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing theatre access opportunities for clients through annual panto partnership.
• YMCA GuildfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for annual panto ticket programme supporting young people.
• Age UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for dementia-friendly performance of Sleeping Beauty panto (January 2027), providing accessible theatre experience for older adults.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• New Old Friends: Award-winning physical comedy company that co-produced Houdini's Greatest Escape with YAT. Smaller touring producer with comparable genre focus and a direct co-production relationship with Yvonne Arnaud.

Direct peers

• Cambridge Arts Theatre: Receiving venue for YAT touring productions (e.g., The Comedy of Errors). Comparable mid-scale UK regional presenting and producing theatre with mixed programming including drama, comedy, and pantomime.
• Guildford Shakespeare Company: Local producing peer in Guildford that co-produced The Comedy of Errors and A Company of Rascals with YAT in 2025. Overlaps directly on producing activity, classical repertoire, and shared local audience.
• Theatre Royal Windsor: Touring stop for YAT productions and a comparable year-round receiving-and-producing theatre in the South East, with similar pantomime tradition and mixed mainstream programme.
• Wiltshire Creative: Operates Salisbury Playhouse alongside other Wiltshire venues. Salisbury Playhouse was Joanna Read's former directorship, and Wiltshire Creative co-produced Brief Encounter with YAT. Closely comparable UK regional producing theatre with similar scale and mission.
• New Wolsey Theatre: Ipswich-based producing theatre that has co-produced with Yvonne Arnaud (Brief Encounter, 2023). Comparable in being a UK regional producing venue of similar scale operating its own programmes and community engagement.
• New Theatre Cardiff: Receiving venue for YAT tours and a UK regional theatre presenting a comparable mix of drama, musical, family, and pantomime programming to similar audience size.

Broad incumbents

• Chichester Festival Theatre: Larger, established South East producing theatre with a strong West End transfer record. Comparable in mission and repertoire but meaningfully larger in scale and brand.
• Theatre Royal Brighton: Larger South East receiving theatre with year-round programming, comparable pantomime tradition and touring-show profile to Yvonne Arnaud, but operating at greater scale.

Regional players

• King's Head Theatre: London-based producing theatre that hosted the end of YAT's Houdini's Greatest Escape tour. Comparable in producing activity and intimate scale, but operating in a different (London) market and audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFDOh-K-8QJq1e30LSu2dEg
• Facebookfacebook.com/YvonneArnaudTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1320585
• Instagraminstagram.com/yvonnearnaud
• TikToktiktok.com/@yvonne_arnaud
• Xx.com/yvonnearnaud

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Yvonne Arnaud Theatre