Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
Marine Theatre is a registered charity-operated performing arts venue in Lyme Regis, Dorset (UNESCO Jurassic Coast), offering theatre, music, comedy, cinema, and community education programmes for local residents, visitors, and youth.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1894
- HeadquartersLyme Regis, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis does
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis is a registered charity-operated performing arts venue located on Church Street in Lyme Regis, Dorset, within the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast. The building, originally opened as sea water baths in 1806 and converted to a Drill Hall in 1894, was acquired by Lyme Regis Town Council in 1960 and transferred to the LymeArts Community Trust in 2003 following a community referendum. The venue operates a 220-seat (394 standing) auditorium with professional-grade technical infrastructure including d&b Q7 and Q-SUB speakers, Allen & Heath SQ6 digital mixing desk, an FLX s 48 lighting rig, and a recently installed Canon WUX 6010 DCP cinema projection system.
The core offering is a multi-format live and recorded entertainment programme: professional theatre (including an annual summer-rep season with Gilroy Theatre), music, comedy, cinema, and talks. The venue also operates substantial community and education programming — Marine Youth Theatre (80+ children aged 3-18 weekly), Senior Creatives (60 monthly participants), Young Technicians and Young Filmmakers courses, and a monthly play reading group — plus commercial venue hire for weddings and corporate events. The full-time team is 9 employees.
Revenue is derived from a diversified mix: ticket sales through TicketSource and the Bridport TIC, venue hire, tiered memberships (Caliban £50/£65 and Prospero £110/£160), bar sales, programme advertising across 7,000 quarterly print copies, corporate sponsorship at £3,000/year, and grants from Arts Council England, Dorset Council, National Lottery, Garfield Weston, Lyme Regis Town Council, Linbury Trust, The Theatres Trust, Backstage Trust, and Dorset Leader. Direct revenue and audited income are not publicly disclosed.
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
- Legal name
- Marine Theatre
- Website
- https://marinetheatre.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1894
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Marine Theatre is a registered charity-operated performing arts venue in Lyme Regis, Dorset (UNESCO Jurassic Coast), offering theatre, music, comedy, cinema, and community education programmes for local residents, visitors, and youth.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD)
Keywords
Where Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyme Regis
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to performances including theatre, music, comedy, cinema, and talks. Tickets available online via TicketSource, by phone, and in person.
- Venue Hire: Hiring out the venue for weddings, meetings, parties, and public events. Includes auditorium, bars, and dressing rooms.
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual and three-year membership tiers offering discounts on tickets and bar purchases. Caliban (1 year): £50 single/£65 joint. Prospero (3 years): £110 single/£160 joint.
- Bar Sales: Revenue from two bars serving local beers, ales, wines, spirits, and cocktails. Includes the upstairs bar with balcony views.
- Programme Advertising: Businesses advertise in the printed programme distributed to 7,000 copies across Lyme Regis and surrounding areas.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Major sponsorship at £3,000 per year includes quarterly programme listing, newsletter inclusion (130,000 emails annually), website listing, complimentary tickets, and event invitations.
- Donations and Grants: Charitable donations from individuals and organisations. Received funding from Arts Council England, Dorset Council, Lyme Regis Town Council, Garfield Weston, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Caliban Membership (1 year) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Prospero Membership (3 years) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Theatre Performance Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Talk/Comedy Events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Music Concerts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cinema Events |
| Subscription | Monthly | Marine Youth Theatre |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Young Technicians Course |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Sponsorship |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Marine Theatre operates a 134-seat performing arts venue presenting live theatre, music, comedy, and DCP cinema programmes, supported by an upstairs licensed bar. It hires out the auditorium and ancillary spaces for weddings, conferences, meetings, and private events, and runs participation programmes including Marine Youth Theatre, Senior Creatives, Young Technicians, Play Reading, and Young Filmmakers. The venue is operated by the LymeArts Community Trust registered charity.
Product overview
Marine Theatre is a performing arts venue offering a multi-faceted portfolio of live entertainment and community programs. The core offering centers on live theatre productions (plays, comedy, music, and cinema), delivered through both touring productions and an annual summer rep season. Supporting this are community engagement programs including the Marine Youth Theatre for ages 3-18, the Young Technicians Course for technical theatre training, and the Senior Creatives program for older adults. The venue also operates as a wedding and event space with comprehensive hire packages. A tiered membership program provides subscriber benefits including ticket discounts. The theatre has recently launched a cinema program with modern DCP projection technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live theatre programming Year-round professional live theatre performances, including touring productions and community work, presented in the 134-seat main auditorium for local and visiting audiences.
- Live music programme Year-round live music performances spanning genres presented in the main auditorium and ancillary spaces for local and touring audiences.
- Comedy programme Stand-up and comedy performance programme run throughout the year alongside theatre and music programming in the main auditorium.
- Cinema screenings DCP digital cinema screenings using a Canon WUX6010 projector, presented alongside live programming for film audiences in the Lyme Regis area.
- Wedding venue hire Hire of the Marine Theatre auditorium and ancillary spaces for wedding ceremonies and receptions, including bar service and event coordination for couples.
- Venue hire for conferences, meetings, talks, and receptions Commercial hire of the Main Auditorium, Upstairs room, and Lounge Bar for conferences, meetings, talks, and receptions, with optional licensed bar service.
- Marine Youth Theatre and Senior Creatives Term-time performing-arts participation programme Marine Youth Theatre, with a Senior Creatives strand for older participants, run on a membership/enrolment basis.
- Marine Youth Young Technicians Course Training course within the Marine Youth programme teaching technical theatre skills using the venue's professional sound, lighting, and projection equipment.
- Marine Youth Play Reading Group Recurring Marine Youth play reading group activity offering guided play-reading participation for young participants.
- Marine Youth Young Filmmakers Course Training course within the Marine Youth programme teaching filmmaking skills, leveraging the venue's cinema projection capability.
- Membership subscription programme Subscription-based membership scheme providing paying members with benefits such as discounts and priority access across the performance programme.
- Upstairs licensed bar On-site licensed bar adjacent to the auditorium offering drinks service to performance audiences and event hirers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80+ children and young people participate weekly in Marine Youth Theatre
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Lyme Bay HolidaysminorMajor corporate sponsor for 2023. Tourism partner with over 350 properties across Devon and Dorset.
- Andy and Jane Littler Consultancy LtdminorCorporate sponsor offering advice on landscape and biodiversity. Supports the Marine as lovers of live music and theatre.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Exeter Phoenix: Multi-purpose arts venue in Devon offering theatre, music, cinema, comedy, workshops and community programmes on a similar scale and with a comparable regional UK charity operating model.
- Old Market, Hove: Independent arts venue in Brighton & Hove presenting theatre, music, comedy and cinema with community and youth programmes; comparable scale, multi-format programming and charitable-style operations.
- Bridport Arts Centre: Small West Dorset community arts venue presenting music, theatre, cinema and workshops; closely matches Marine Theatre's scale, charitable structure and rural-coastal audience profile.
- Quarterhouse, Folkestone: Multi-purpose community arts venue in a coastal town offering theatre, film, music, comedy and participatory programmes; matches Marine Theatre's combination of ticketed events, cinema and community engagement under a single roof.
- Lighthouse, Poole: Dorset-based arts centre hosting theatre, music, comedy and cinema in a coastal conurbation; comparable mix of ticketed events, venue hire, community engagement and digital cinema programming.
- The Plough Arts Centre: Rural North Devon arts centre offering theatre, music, cinema, exhibitions and community outreach; similar scale and programming breadth with comparable coastal/rural UK positioning.
- Dorchester Arts: Dorset community arts organisation programming theatre, music, comedy and workshops in and around Dorchester; directly comparable as a small county-based arts charity adjacent to Marine Theatre's market.
- The Electric Palace, Bridport: Historic cinema and live events venue in Bridport offering film, music and community programming; directly comparable to the Marine's cinema-plus-live-theatre hybrid operating model.
- Merlin Theatre, Frome: Independent community theatre in Somerset presenting drama, music, comedy, cinema and youth programmes; matches Marine Theatre's multi-format venue model with charitable governance.
Broad incumbents
- Theatre Royal Bath: Established regional theatre in the South West with a substantially larger programming slate and capacity; operates in the same region and category, providing a benchmark for regional theatre scale in West-of-England markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis social profiles
Digital presenceMarine Theatre, Lyme Regis compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
What does Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis do?
The Marine Theatre operates a 134-seat performing arts venue presenting live theatre, music, comedy, and DCP cinema programmes, supported by an upstairs licensed bar. It hires out the auditorium and ancillary spaces for weddings, conferences, meetings, and private events, and runs participation programmes including Marine Youth Theatre, Senior Creatives, Young Technicians, Play Reading, and Young Filmmakers. The venue is operated by the LymeArts Community Trust registered charity.
Is Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis a public or private company?
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis founded?
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis was founded in 1894. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis based?
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis is headquartered in Lyme Regis, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are venue Hire, membership Subscriptions, bar Sales, programme Advertising, corporate Sponsorship and donations and Grants.
Who are Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Exeter Phoenix, Old Market, Hove, Bridport Arts Centre, Quarterhouse, Folkestone, Lighthouse, Poole, The Plough Arts Centre, Dorchester Arts, The Electric Palace, Bridport and Merlin Theatre, Frome. Theatre Royal Bath is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis.
What industry is Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis in?
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis's product category is Performing Arts Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses), with a secondary code of MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7830.