The Stage

Third venue added to HQ Theatres’ portfolio

Published Tuesday 15 May 2007 at 11:40 by Alistair Smith

HQ Theatres has secured the management contract at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, in what the group claims could be the first in a series of regional venue take-overs.

Currently managed by Live Nation, the theatre will change hands at the beginning of July and become the third in HQ’s portfolio, following on from the Cliffs Pavilion and Palace Theatres in Southend.

HQ is a joint venture between Hetherington Seelig, which separately runs the Wycombe Swan and Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre, and pantomime production company Qdos Entertainment.

Qdos managing director Nick Thomas told The Stage that the group had been pleased with the progress made at the Southend theatres, which it took over last year, and has now started the first phase of renovation work at the Cliffs Pavilion, which will include £500,000 spent on dressing rooms, box office and external upgrading. He added that he felt the 600-seat Beck also had “a lot of potential” and would benefit from investment.

He added: “With the Beck, we’re now up to three venues, we’re actively investing in all three and watch this space for some more. We are currently in negotiations for a further eight venues.”

HQ has signed a 15-year deal to manage the Beck, which will be run through Beck Theatre Limited - a subsidiary of HQ. Hetherington Seelig had previously managed the venue before it was taken over by Apollo Leisure in 1992. Apollo was then taken over by Clear Channel Entertainment, which recently became Live Nation.

Michael Ockwell, managing director of HQ, added: “HQ Theatres brings a wealth of venue management, large-scale production experience and commercial expertise to the Beck Theatre. Combined with the skills of the team already in place, we are looking forward to taking the theatre into an exciting new future.”

The venue marks the latest UK regional venue for which Live Nation - the UK’s largest theatre operator - has not renewed its management contract. Last year, Felixstowe Spa Theatre passed from the company to Openwide International. Meanwhile, in the US, Live Nation has already announced that it is looking to sell off the majority of its theatre venues, as the company shifts its focus to music.