Last year saw Bolton Octagon celebrate record-breaking performances, expand its work in the community - with thousands of people attending participation groups and free activities - and reach even wider audiences with co-productions on tour across the country.
The total Bolton audience for the year was 87,562, making this one of the most successful years in the theatre’s history and its highest attendance since the building closed for complete redevelopment in 2018.
The venue also continued to cement its place as a top UK producing house theatre, with a record-breaking 70,323 people watching an Octagon co-production on tour across the UK - including two of showbusiness newspaper The Stage’s top shows of 2024, Animal Farm and Brassed Off.
The Octagon also launched a £4 "affordable ticket" scheme, working with Bolton social housing companies, which was used by 1,457 people from low-income households - providing over £24,000 in ticket discounts in the process.
Education programmes increased arts access to young people who wouldn't otherwise have got involved in theatre, including opportunities for pupils to attend productions, drama and storytelling sessions. Theatre staff engaged with over 12,000 young people from 152 schools.
The Octagon won Greater Manchester's "medium business of the year" award at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Excellence Awards, as well as being shortlisted for the UK Theatre Awards' "most welcoming theatre" award.
Meanwhile, the theatre's artistic director, Lotte Wakeham, picked up the Women in Leadership award at the She Inspires awards, and has been nominated in the "power list" and "agent of change" categories at the 2025 Northern Power Women’s Awards.
Octagon chief executive Roddy Gauld said: “During the last 12 months we’ve delivered our promise to be an ambitious, inclusive and useful theatre for the people of Bolton, and a leading organisation in the UK’s theatre sector.
“We have welcomed thousands of new audience members, as well as many returning visitors, and we are delighted by their feedback and the national recognition for our productions and friendly welcome. We are proud that our work is seen across the UK, and our bold, adventurous and popular shows will be touring to even more venues in 2025.
“All the Octagon’s accomplishments over the last 12 months are a testament to the skill and commitment of everyone we work with.”
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