Figures revealed on 8 July have shown that Kingston’s Rose Theatre is by far the cheapest new theatre in the country, with a cost per seat that is nearly half the next cheapest.
The comparison between the six new theatres built in the last four years was given to councillors at a special meeting of the Scrutiny Panel to examine the costs of the Rose:
- The Rose cost £9,500 per seat to build. The next cheapest was the Almeida in Islington, costing £17,000 per seat.
- The average cost to build a new theatre is £19,000 per seat – double the cost of the Rose.
- The capital cost of the Rose was the second lowest in the country. Only the Almeida, which has a quarter of the Rose’s capacity, cost less.
Cllr Derek Osbourne, Leader of the Council, said:
"These figures prove once and for all that the Rose Theatre has been tremendous value for money. It is by far the cheapest new theatre in the country.
"The fact that this magnificent new showcase for Kingston has been built at half the cost of other theatres will turn other towns and cities green with envy.
"It is now time for people to rally around and support the theatre. It has already improved the local economy and transformed the town centre after dark. I’m sure that its exciting autumn programme will only cement its central place in the life of the borough."
Full table of costs per theatre are:
| Theatre |
Capital cost |
Number of seats |
Cost per seat |
| Hampstead Theatre |
£15.7m |
330 |
£48k |
| Manchester Royal Exchange |
£23m |
885 |
£26k |
| Young Vic |
£12.45m |
420 + 136 + 68 |
£20k |
| Almeida |
£5.75m |
325 |
£17k |
| London Coliseum |
£41m |
2358 |
£17.4k |
| Kingston Rose |
£11.5m |
950 + 220 + 60 |
£9.5k |
Figures provide by Rosie Hoare, Project Manager of the Rose Theatre
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