A year ago, Norwich Theatre relaunched its Friends Scheme, simplifying its levels and including all three venues in the scheme’s discounts on shows and bars. We spoke to Hannah Crouch, Friends and Supporters Manager at Norwich Theatre, to take a look back over the past year, the benefits on offer and see what Friends has in store over the next 12 months.
Tell us a little about who you are and what your role
I am Friends and Supporters Manager at Norwich Theatre. Mine is a new role and one which is dedicated to making sure our members get the most out of their support for the charity, whether it’s through our Friends scheme or being part of our circle of Supporters.
I’ve worked in the charity sector in Norfolk for nearly 15 years. I am really looking forward to raising awareness of the difference Norwich Theatre is making in our community and thinking of fun and exciting ways for people to get involved.
Can you tell us a little about what Friends are and the benefits of becoming one?
Our Friends are a community of people who love visiting the theatre. We have three levels of Friends membership: Friend, Best Friend and Gold Friend.
All Friends access great benefits and discounts covering our three Norwich Theatre venues, including priority booking with no transaction fee, discount on shows and at the bar at Norwich Theatre Playhouse, and the café, bar and restaurant at Norwich Theatre Royal and Stage Two. For those who want to get even more involved with what’s going on, on and off the stage, there are exclusive opportunities for our Friends to attend behind the scenes events throughout the year.
How has the year gone so far with the relaunched Friends scheme?
Last June, we relaunched our Friends scheme, simplifying the levels to just three, meaning that there is a membership level to fit everyone’s budget. We understand these are challenging times for people, and we’ve seen our Friends make great savings on their theatre tickets, helping them continue doing something they love. As a community, our Friends have saved more than £150,000 on theatre tickets alone!
We also changed how our tickets go on sale, meaning that each month our Gold Friends get to secure the best seats in the house five days ahead of our general sale. Friends and Best Friends get three days of priority booking. This monthly on sale means our Friends are able to spread the cost of their theatre-going throughout the year.
We were really excited to see our Friends make the most of their 50% off first-night drama at Norwich Theatre Royal and Norwich Theatre Playhouse, where they had the chance to see more than 20 great shows, from Macbeth to an Agatha Christie thriller.
How does our Friends scheme compare to other theatre’s friends scheme nationally/in the county?
People can join the Norwich Theatre Friends scheme from just £25 a year, making it the lowest cost of its kind in the region and opening it up to anyone wanting to support the arts in Norfolk.
Are there any added benefits other than just discounts on shows? Gold Friends, Prelude, Cafe etc.?
Being a Friend of Norwich Theatre is about so much more than taking advantage of discounts on theatre tickets (though that’s a great bonus!).
Our Friends can choose the level that suits them depending on how much they want to get back from their membership. For example, our Best Friends are able to buy double the number of discounted tickets than our Friends.
All Friends are able to take advantage of 10% off their bill in our Café Royal, Long Bar and Norwich Theatre Playhouse Bar and in our modern restaurant, Prelude, making a trip to Norwich Theatre even better value.
Our Friends tell us that one of the biggest reasons to join is to become part of a community whose dedicated support helps to ensure our work on stage and in the community is available to wider audiences and future generations.
As a registered charity, we receive no regular revenue funding from any public sources. It is thanks to our Friends that we are able to continue to provide the best service to our customers, including a high-quality digital service as well as over the phone and in person, at a time when many theatres are closing their box office counters.
How do I get a higher level of involvement in supporting the theatre? (More than Gold Friend)
For people who are passionate about theatre, there are a number of ways to become more involved. By joining our circle of Supporters, they are able to access even more exclusive events and opportunities whilst giving back with a charitable donation to Norwich Theatre.
This year alone, our Supporters enjoyed chances to go behind the scenes at dress rehearsals, from Acosta Danza’s ‘On Before’ to Northern Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ and enjoyed money-can’t-buy access to Q&A’s with the companies we work with, including the cast and crew of our very own pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk!
It is thanks to our Supporters that we are able to offer our Creative Engagement programmes in our local communities.
Some people will have a really clear idea about how they would like to support Norwich Theatre and the difference they’d like to make. I’m happy to have a chat with anyone to learn more about what they are hoping to achieve and how we can help to make that happen!
Can you give me a sneak peek of your future plans for the Friends scheme?
I’m looking forward to getting to know our loyal Friends and learning more about what’s important to them. That will help shape what comes next. I’m already exploring the ways we communicate with the Friends community so that we can make sure that people are aware of and making the most of the fantastic perks of being part of the community.
Of course, I’ll also be looking at what exciting things we have coming up at Norwich Theatre in the coming months, both on and off the stage, identifying ways in which are Friends and Supporters can get involved!