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Frequently Asked Questions

Technical Specification

You may also find the Mayflower Technical Specification (PDF) useful.

Work Experience

If you are interested in applying for Work Experience at The Mayflower, please see the Work Experience page.

Student Resource: Frequently Asked Questions

To answer some of the queries that are most asked about the Theatre we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions that we have had from students; we hope they help your studies:

When was the Theatre first opened?

The Mayflower opened on 22 December 1928 and it was first called The Empire. In The Mayflower Theatre History section you will find more detailed information about the history of our Theatre.

We have also produced a 15 minute DVD about the history of the Theatre with memories from members of the public and interviews with some of the stars of our shows and insights from top show producers, which is shown on our Theatre Tours.

What types of jobs are there in the Theatre?

Most of the full time jobs are in Finance, Administration, HR, Marketing and Sales Development (Box Office), however we do have a large team of part time and casual staff in our Technical (backstage) and Front of House departments too.

What does the organisation structure look like?

To view our organisation structure please download this file:

Mayflower Staff Structure (Microsoft Word)

Where do you get your funding from?

We don't! The Mayflower Theatre is a charitable trust which receives no funding from local or county council, or from the Arts Council. We rely entirely on what we can earn at the box office and in sales of programmes, merchandise, ice creams, and refreshments etc.

How do you think you compare to other Theatres in the local area?

We are the largest Theatre on the South Coast, with over 2,300 seats, and a large stage. This enables The Mayflower to stage bigger productions than many other local Theatres. We are known for hosting professional West End musicals, and world class ballet and opera, as well as music concerts and live comedy by national and international artistes. For full technical specifications of the Theatre please download this file:

Mayflower Technical Specification (PDF)

Is the Theatre a "producing house" or a "receiving house" and what does this mean?

The Mayflower Theatre is a receiving house, this means that all the shows we stage are bought in from production companies who are predominantly touring nationally with their show, as opposed to putting on a show that has been produced, designed, and built specifically at The Mayflower. Therefore at the Theatre we do not have make-up and wigs, costume and set design departments.

Do we have any other rooms in the Theatre that are available for hire?

Yes. The auditorium can be hired for private events and there are a range of services and packages available. As a minimum, it costs £7,500* for 24hr hire of the auditorium. We have a variety of conference suites and bars available for hire for training sessions, corporate entertainment, parties etc. We also have restaurant facilities and host restaurant nights and themed events. For more information on the hire of our corporate and executive suites please see our Entertaining at The Mayflower section.

What connections does The Mayflower have with the local community?

As a large part of the arts community in the region, The Mayflower has many connections with a range of different institutions and establishments. Relationships with the local councils, schools, colleges and universities, small amateur dramatic and music groups are constantly being developed and maintained. We also like to link with local businesses as much as possible.

Is the Theatre involved in any educational projects?

Although the Theatre does not have a specialised education department or officer, the development team work hard at offering educational workshops and talks to schools, colleges and young people. As we are a receiving house, the educational packages are often show specific, and include things like post-show talks and dance workshops run by cast and crew members.

We also offer work experience for Year 10 students at local schools and full details of our programme can be found on the Work Experience page.

What are your best selling shows?

Large scale musicals, such as Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Starlight Express, Cats and Les Misérables have been amongst our best selling. Historically our Christmas Shows are always top sellers in our programme of events.

How successful is The Mayflower?

The Mayflower is the third largest provincial Theatre and one of the most successful independent Theatres in the country. However we are a Charitable Trust, and we also rely on public donations and good will.

How do you attract audiences?

The Mayflower holds a database of patrons who we mail or email regularly. We produce an Events Diary up to three times a year. We advertise shows across a wide range of media in the region to raise awareness and attract audiences. We regularly use radio, press and outdoor advertising, and for some shows we might include a TV campaign. Where possible we target specific audiences with shows that might be relevant to them.

Do you have a certain policy regarding what your aims are for bringing in customers?

Our aims are defined by our mission statement:

To preserve and maintain this thriving Theatre for the local community and support drama, dance and opera in Hampshire by the provision of quality products
To increase the security of the Theatre by increasing its assets

We also have a Customer Charter.

How do you train your staff?

The Mayflower Theatre achieved IIP (Investors in People) standard in December 2007 and we are extremely proud of this and of the hard work that our staff put into achieving this accreditation.

Every member of staff has the opportunity to attend an appraisal interview with their manager or supervisor each year. This is the chance to discuss how their jobs have been over the past year, what they have achieved and how they would like to develop their role over the coming year. Any training or development requirements are usually identified at this appraisal, however some further requirements may arise during the year. Each manager will complete a training request matrix for their team that the HR department will schedule into the annual training plan and budget, and organise training courses where appropriate.

How do you book shows?

Our Chief Executive manages all the programming for the Theatre. We programme shows up to 3 years in advance, working closely with show producers to arrange dates, times and prices for performances.

Does your venue have any artistic preferences?

We strive to provide a variety of dance, opera, musicals and comedy to appeal to our wide audience. The mainstay of our programming is musicals.

Does your venue have any extra activities?

We run regular Theatre tours for individuals and groups, including schools. We have a restaurant and hold themed nights, and we also have first class conference and meeting facilities available for hire. We also hold an annual Open Day.

Are there any distinctive features of your programme?

We are able to house large scale West End musicals due to the size of our auditorium and stage, such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Miss Saigon and Ice shows.