ANNUAL 2013/14 1 THE OLD VIC ANNUAL 2013/2014 The Year in Numbers ..............................................................................2 Chief Executive’s Review ...................................................................... 4 Artistic Director’s Review .......................................................................6 Board, Management and Matthew Warchus ...........................................8 Much Ado About Nothing .....................................................................10 Fortune’s Fool ......................................................................................12 Other Desert Cities ...............................................................................14 Clarence Darrow ...................................................................................16 The Crucible .........................................................................................18 In The Round ....................................................................................... 20 The 24 Hour Plays® Celebrity Gala ........................................................24 Old Vic New Voices Housed .................................................................26 Talent ...................................................................28 Education .............................................................30 Community...........................................................32 Beyond The Stage ................................................................................34 Where We Began ..................................................................................36 Illuminating The Future.........................................................................38 Sustainability and Income ................................................................... 40 Fundraising ..........................................................................................42 Supporters .......................................................................................... 46 Cast, Creatives and Staff...................................................................... 48 THE YEAR IN NUMBERS 12.3m 244,938 total income total audience figure 406 3,165 4,587 17,795 11,096 3,063 60,000+ 39,000+ performances tickets sold at discounted free tickets to schools tickets sold at discounted tickets sold at discounted tickets sold at discounted Twitter followers Facebook likes rates to the local community rates to under 25s rates to senior citizens rates to patrons with access requirements 2 3 Chief Executive’s Review Looking back over our tenth – yes tenth! The transformation of the auditorium into the round halfway specifications of our auditorium and expand and enhance We do all this without any subsidy – something that is often – season of work under Kevin Spacey’s through the year, once again made possible by the generosity our front and back of house facilities. We now need to begin forgotten. Everything we do here – be it on stage or behind the of Sir Michael Hintze and his company CQS, allowed us to see fundraising to make it happen by 2020, something you will scenes with schools, the community or emerging talent – is glorious Artistic Directorship of The Old The Old Vic (quite literally) from new and exciting angles. A hear more about over the coming years. made possible through the loyalty of our audiences and the Vic, we have much to celebrate. personal highlight for me was seeing Kevin return to The Old Hot on the heels of this was the exciting news in May of generosity of our supporters. What’s so fabulous about that is Vic stage with a tour de force performance in the one-man the appointment of Matthew Warchus as our new Artistic that we have quickly become a family. Everyone who supports show Clarence Darrow. No one will forget his force of passion Director, succeeding Kevin in September 2015. Matthew is an us, at whatever level, is crucial and valued. The Old Vic is as he thundered across the stage, and woe betide you if you internally acclaimed director and a current Artistic Associate theirs, and yours and everyone’s. were one of his chosen members of the jury in the second act! of The Old Vic, who you will know of by reputation – perhaps This time next year Matthew will have opened his first ‘History repeats itself. That’s one of the things wrong mostly due to his inspired creation of Matilda. Kevin and I season, which is a thrilling prospect. Stay with us on the with history’, said Darrow. It’s a truism that feels incredibly are thrilled to have Matthew onboard. We feel strongly that journey – it’s going to be inspiring, brave, entertaining, pertinent right now. Whilst we could not be more fond of his talent, ambition and vision will further transform The Old thought-provoking and, above all, a lot of fun. our glorious historic theatre, we are aware of its limitations Vic, building on the bedrock that Kevin has so brilliantly laid as an 196-year-old building serving twenty-first century throughout his tenure. audiences and creative teams now more than ever. We are Kevin, our Board, and our staff have achieved much over the especially keen to address those aspects of the building that past decade: The Old Vic has been re-established as a major may impact its approachability and accessibility. We are a producing house, over 250,000 people visit our theatre each theatre for all, and we want to ensure our building allows us to year, and off stage we have engaged with 2,500 people each fully realise this principle. Rome was not built in a day, but in year. Looking forward, bold plans for securing the long term April 2014 we reached a significant milestone in our journey future of The Old Vic’s building and underpinning its financial to restore and open up the building when we were awarded sustainability as a charity and a theatre without regular public Sally Greene planning permission for a scheme to upgrade the technical subsidy will ensure our national treasure sustains. Chief Executive 4 5 Artistic Director’s Review Legendary actors James Earl Jones and played too at Hotel Elephant. 1,368 people Vanessa Redgrave played The Old Vic for the auditioned and the Company eventually first time in Much Ado About Nothing, directed comprised 30 performers and 45 backstage by the remarkable Mark Rylance. Talented participants. When I first started my tenure as Lucy Bailey made her directorial debut at our Artistic Director ten years ago, I knew I wanted theatre, bringing with her a rarely presented to engage the community and young people play by Turgenev, Fortune’s Fool, in a pitch in schools, as well as nurture young theatre perfect adaptation by Mike Poulton. This talent. I am immensely proud to see how the turned out to be a great find. Sadly Iain Glen, work of Old Vic New Voices has gone from the fortune’s fool of the title had to withdraw strength to strength. through illness shortly after receiving The Old Vic is unlike any other theatre. It wonderful notices. At the end of the run, we is a charity. It has no subsidy. It has to raise became a theatre in-the-round again, thanks its own money from ticket sales, corporate once more to the generosity of philanthropist sponsorship and public generosity. When I Michael Hintze through his company CQS. In hand over the artistic directorship to Matthew Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities director Warchus, I want to leave him with the legacy Lindsay Posner displayed the extraordinary of an endowment fund so that he doesn’t talents of Sinéad Cusack, Martha Plimpton have to spend as much time as I have on and Clare Higgins to advantage. The year fundraising. Arts Council England, while ended with Yaël Farber’s compelling five-star choosing not to subsidise us regularly, has production of The Crucible, for which she endorsed our entrepreneurial approach of self was subsequently nominated for an Evening reliance by giving us £5 million, conditional on Standard Drama Award. The production was a our raising £15m ourselves. great success, earning ten 5-star reviews, and We are working hard to meet this target. Richard Armitage was deservedly acclaimed Thank you to our loyal audience and to the for his performance as John Proctor. generous individuals, companies and trusts Before The Crucible run, I was delighted to and foundations who have supported us. In play Clarence Darrow in a two-week fundraiser particular, I should like to thank our headline for The Old Vic. I have great admiration for sponsors: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, PwC Clarence Darrow and exploring the text with for the Under 25s Club and our in-the-round Thea Sharrock, Artistic Associate and my sponsor, CQS. Final thanks to my team at The director of choice for this piece, was a joy. Old Vic, who always go the extra mile. I’m full I was also very happy that we were able to of pride and excitement to enter into my final give stage time to The Old Vic Community season with you. Company’s production of Housed, which Kevin Spacey Artistic Director 6 7 The Old Vic Theatre Trust Board of Trustees Matthew Warchus Nick Clarry (Chairman) Sally Greene OBE (CEO) Kevin McGrath Nick Clarry is a Partner at the private equity firm CVC Sally Greene is renowned for rescuing and restoring The Kevin McGrath is a Chartered Surveyor who has worked Capital Partners, having joined in 2003. Prior to CVC Old Vic, Criterion and Richmond theatres. In 1998, she in the property industry for 25 years. He is currently he worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions department at formed The Old Vic Theatre Trust