Following the successful completion of the re-roofing of the Judi Dench Playhouse, we are delighted to announce that the refurbishment of the interior of the Playhouse will take place this summer during August/early September. We will be replacing the seating and carpet in the Playhouse, fitting new handrails, and installing low level lighting to help entry and exit on the stairways. If there are sufficient funds we will also proceed to replace the Red Curtains as well as repairing and upgrading other theatre facilities.
Thanks to the donations to ‘Name a Seat’ received so far, we already have a substantial contribution of over £40,000 towards the costs of the new seating in the Playhouse. The Pandemic paused our work and we have held back from re-launching ‘Name a Seat’ until we were confident that the project could proceed within the near future. Now we have a timescale for the installation of the new seating we are renewing our request for your help through ‘Name a Seat’. Please help in whatever way you can, knowing that any contribution you make by July will help pay the costs of the order for the seating.
How do I name a seat?
Donors can click here to select a seat and make their donation using our online box office.
How much does it cost?
Depending on the seat location we are asking for donations of either £500, £350 or £200 in the Playhouse or £150 which will go towards replenishing the funds we used to purchase the new seating in the Studio. Donations are eligible for Gift Aid, and this will help raise substantially more as each donation with a Gift Aid declaration brings a further 25% of value on top of the amount donated. Donors whose taxable income is greater than the amount of their donation can declare their Gift Aid donation on their tax return so offsetting their tax.
If you wish to donate a different amount or prefer not to name a seat then your donation is still greatly appreciated. You can make a donation to the renewal fund via our online box office here.
What text can go on the name plate?
Following the renewal project there would be a small plate on each seat in the Judi Dench Playhouse giving the donor’s name – which may be an individual, a couple, a family, a group or an organisation/company, and a short message. For the Studio there will also be a plaque recording the names of those who donate to the Studio seating. Donors for the seating in the Playhouse will be contacted to confirm exactly what text they want nearer to the time that the plates will be fitted.
How long will my name plate stay on the seat?
When we originally launched ‘Name a Seat we said that the donation would have a guaranteed lifetime of 11 years. That remains the case: the name plates on seats in the Playhouse and the donations record in the Studio will be in place through to 2034, therefore including the period of the centenary of The Questors Theatre in 2029.
Please note that having your name on a seat does not give any additional rights to sit in that seat. Indeed for some performances your named seat may not be available depending on the configuration of the theatre (for example the Vom Seats are removed for some productions). Instead you will be able to enjoy seeing the names on the seats around you each time you visit the theatre and know that, like them, you have played your part in making this refurbishment possible.
