What Shakespeare North Playhouse does

Shakespeare North Playhouse is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1120641) and company limited by guarantee (Company No. 05923469) that operates a performing arts venue in Prescot, Merseyside. The organisation opened the purpose-built playhouse in 2022, inspired by the historical 1590s Prescot theatre associated with the Earl of Derby and Shakespeare's early performances, and constructed in the style of the Cockpit-in-Court theatre attributed to Inigo Jones. The venue comprises a 470-seat Cockpit Theatre (300 in end-on configuration), The Studio, the outdoor Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, and a Family Theatre, presenting Shakespeare, contemporary plays, comedy, family shows, and spoken word events.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit model combining earned and contributed revenue. Earned income is generated through ticket sales (from £15, with concessions, family, group, and school group discounts), food and beverage sales at the on-site café and bar, venue hire for corporate events, weddings, and film location shoots, gift shop retail (in-venue and online), and pre-bookable parking. Contributed income comes from the Cockpit Circle membership programme, individual donations, corporate sponsorship, and grant funding from Arts Council England, DCMS, Knowsley Council, and the Liverpool Metro Area. Distribution operates via a 24/7 online booking platform, telephone booking, in-person box office, and a dedicated travel trade channel serving tour operators.

The company serves five core segments: general theatre audiences, schools and educational institutions (through dedicated pricing and curriculum-aligned workshops), families, corporate clients hiring the venue, and couples seeking distinctive wedding venues. Audience development is supported by accessible performance formats including BSL-interpreted, audio-described, and relaxed performances, plus free community events, guided tours, and outreach. Operational partnerships include co-production arrangements with Theatre by the Lake and Storyhouse, and a technology integration with Secure My Booking for ticket refund protection.

Name

Shakespeare North Playhouse

Legal name

Shakespeare North Trust

Website

https://shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shakespeare North Playhouse is a UK charity operating a 470-seat purpose-built Shakespearean-style theatre in Prescot, Merseyside, offering ticketed performances, education programmes, venue hire, F&B, and retail to general audiences, schools, families, corporate clients, and private-event customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Theatre performances
• Performing arts venue
• Live entertainment
• Arts education
• Venue hire services

Headquarters

HQ city

Prescot

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from theatrical performances across multiple venues including Cockpit Theatre (470 seats), The Studio, Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, and Family Theatre. Dynamic pricing for popular shows.
2. Food & Beverage: Café and bar services serving hot/cold drinks, snacks, light lunches, pre-theatre bites, and interval drinks.
3. Venue Hire: Spaces available for hire including meetings, networking events, creative sessions, and weddings. Brochure and pricing available for event hire.
4. Gift Shop: Retail sales of gifts, books, stationery, toys, and homewares inspired by Shakespeare and theatre. Both in-venue and online shop.
5. Donations & Membership: Registered charity (no. 1120641) accepting donations. Cockpit Circle membership program with priority booking and exclusive discounts. Corporate support packages available.
6. Parking: Pre-bookable dedicated car parking spaces for events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shakespeare North Playhouse is a theatre venue operating the 470-seat Cockpit Theatre (a timber-framed Shakespearean-style playhouse), The Studio, the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden and a Family Theatre in Prescot, England. It produces and hosts a programme of Shakespeare, contemporary drama, comedy, family shows, spoken word and live music, alongside education programmes, community workshops, venue hire, a café/bar and a gift shop. The venue is operated by Shakespeare North Trust, a registered charity, and offers accessible performance formats including BSL interpretation, audio description, touch tours and relaxed performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatrical Performances (What's On programme) Live theatrical performances staged across the Cockpit Theatre (470-seat timber-framed playhouse), The Studio, the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden and the Family Theatre, including Shakespeare, contemporary drama, comedy, family shows and spoken word. Tickets sold to the public via online, phone and in-person box office.
• Venue Hire (Corporate & Private Events) Hire of Shakespeare North Playhouse's spaces for meetings, networking events, creative sessions, team building, conferences, weddings and film/location shoots. Brochure and pricing are available for event hire enquiries.
• Weddings at Shakespeare North Playhouse Dedicated wedding hire service offering ceremonies, receptions and private celebrations in the venue's heritage-style performance spaces.
• Café & Bar (Bar & Kitchen) On-site café and bar serving hot and cold drinks, snacks, light lunches, pre-theatre bites and interval drinks to venue visitors.
• Gift Shop (in-venue and online) Retail sales of gifts, books, stationery, toys and homewares inspired by Shakespeare and theatre, available both in-venue and through the online store at shop.shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk.
• Schools & Education Programme Educational theatre visits, workshops, teacher CPD, home education sessions and curriculum-aligned productions for primary, secondary and home education groups. School rate of £15 per person with 1 free teacher per 10 students for Cockpit Theatre productions.
• Cockpit Circle Membership (Supporter Scheme) Recurring membership scheme of Shakespeare North Trust (registered charity no. 1120641) offering supporters priority booking and exclusive discounts, supplementing one-off donations and corporate support packages.
• Guided Tours Guided tours of Shakespeare North Playhouse, allowing visitors to experience the heritage-style Cockpit Theatre and other performance spaces.
• Nell Gwynn (production) Co-produced theatrical production of Jess Swale's Olivier Award-winning comedy 'Nell Gwynn', telling the story of England's first actress with wigs, flamboyant outfits, royal scandal and live music. Premiered at Shakespeare North Playhouse's Cockpit Theatre.

Quantifiable outcome

• 470-seat capacity Cockpit Theatre with 300-seat end-on configuration
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Theatre by the LakecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of productions including 'Nell Gwynn' alongside Shakespeare North Playhouse and Storyhouse.
• StoryhousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of theatrical productions including 'Nell Gwynn' alongside Theatre by the Lake.
• Knowsley CouncilmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal government partner supporting the Shakespeare North project. Knowsley Council logo appears in footer acknowledging local authority support.
• Arts Council England (ACE)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerNational arts funding body providing financial support. ACE logo appears as supporting organisation.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment department supporting cultural organisations. DCMS logo appears in footer.
• Liverpool Metro AreaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism and destination marketing partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theatre by the Lake: Lake District producing theatre operating a main house and studio with summer repertory seasons. Co-production partner of SNP on 'Nell Gwynn'; comparable in scale, repertory focus, and regional UK positioning.
• Liverpool Everyman Theatre: Liverpool repertory theatre with a long regional history, producing and presenting drama and musicals on a similar scale. Overlaps directly with SNP on geography (within 10 miles), audience, and repertoire.
• The Lowry: Salford-based regional theatre complex with two performance spaces (Lyric and Quays), extensive education programmes, and broad repertoire including drama, musicals, and family shows. Closely matches SNP on venue-hire, schools programming, and multi-space operations.
• Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester: Major regional theatre in Greater Manchester producing a similar mix of classical, contemporary, and new writing on a comparable single-venue, in-the-round format. Closest geographic and scale comparable to Shakespeare North Playhouse in the North West.
• Storyhouse: Chester-based theatre and cinema complex combining in-house production, library, and venue hire. Active co-production partner of Shakespeare North Playhouse ('Nell Gwynn'), so directly comparable on business model and repertoire.
• Liverpool Playhouse: Historic Liverpool repertory theatre producing classic and contemporary drama with a strong education remit. Shares SNP's Merseyside catchment and community outreach model.

Broad incumbents

• Barbican Centre: London arts centre operating multiple theatres, cinema, and gallery with international and UK touring productions. Represents the upper-bound comparable on venue complexity, accessibility programming, and education reach that SNP aspires to at regional scale.
• Royal Shakespeare Company: National-scale Shakespeare specialist with permanent theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon and London operations. Sets the benchmark for Shakespeare repertory quality and brand in the UK against which SNP positions as a regional heritage alternative.

Regional players

• Dukes Theatre Lancaster: Lancashire-based producing theatre and cinema with a strong education and community engagement remit. Similar scale and North West geographic positioning though with a distinct promenade/in-the-round heritage.

Emerging players

• HOME Manchester: Manchester-based arts complex combining theatre, cinema, and visual arts with a contemporary programming focus. Comparable on multi-venue operations and education/community outreach, but with a more contemporary brand positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/shakespearenorthplayhouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShakespeareNorthPlayhouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shakespeare-north-playhouse

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 Shakespeare North Playhouse