With 2024 behind us, there’s no better time to look at the iconic year we’ve had at Leeds Heritage Theatres. From ice creams to panto queens and everything in between, we’ve Wrapped our year up to celebrate what we’ve been up to!
Written by Henry Crabtree and Aaron Cawood
A year in review
There’s no short way to summarise our 2024. Whether it’s renaming the auditorium at The Varieties for Sir Ken Dodd, welcoming a new CEO or producing our 11th Leeds Grand Youth Theatre production – it’s all been happening here at Leeds Heritage Theatres. And our audiences have been busy.
Whether you’ve contributed to the over 8,000 hot drinks sold at Hyde Park Picture House or the almost 14,000 packs of sweets sold at Leeds Grand Theatre, there’s no doubt that our audiences have enjoyed more than just the shows this year. So, we dug into the depths of our technical know-how to find some fun facts and figures to represent what’s been happening with our audiences this year. Our Wrapped algorithm is all-knowing and 100% accurate*, so continue at your own risk – what you find may shock you!
*Our Wrapped algorithm is, in fact, not 100% accurate. It isn’t really an algorithm at all. It’s just Henry and Aaron, from our Marketing and Comms team, being creative!
Best bits
It’s no surprise that our annual Rock ‘n’ Roll pantomime is a hit. After a very successful year last year with Robin Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto has wowed audiences for over a month now.
But fear not! The beanstalk is only getting taller, and you’ve got until Sun 12 January 2025 to climb it yourself.
When it comes to beverages, our bars couldn’t be better. Our partnership with local Kirkstall Brewery has seen our audiences enjoying Virtuous from overture to standing ovation.
Want to know more about our partnership? Take a look at our blog, where we visited the brewery and got a close look at everything Kirkstall is doing to brew for Leeds and beyond.
We may be famous for variety, but City Varieties Music Hall has long been heralded as an iconic space for comedians. This year, we honoured that by making Sir Ken Dodd a part of our story permanently. Now, when you sit down to watch a show, you are sitting in the Sir Ken Dodd Auditorium.
Hyde Park Picture House celebrated a year since its reopening in 2024, and it’s safe to say Leeds is happy to have its classic cinema back. Maybe you joined us to squeal at The Substance, or to sob at Small Things Like These. One thing’s for sure; you can’t do any of that without a cinema snack.
To celebrate another partner, where would we be without local ice cream creators Northern Bloc? Whether you’re a champion of their Chocolate Blood Orange, or a master of their Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla, a tub of treats makes the perfect pair with a trip to the theatre.
Just ask our pantomime patrons – they seem to be getting through their fair share of frozen goodies!
We pride ourselves in being home to art of all kinds. Beautiful ballets, elegant operas, West End musicals, blockbuster movies and moving plays; across our three venues, we’re lucky to hold space, not just for defying gravity, but for entertainment that caters to every audience.
Whatever the reason, tear-jerker or toe-tapper, we’re glad you joined us this year.
Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of moving parts that make the wonderful world of Leeds Heritage Theatres possible. To highlight one very important sector of that work, our volunteers are often the ones you meet that make your visit to our venues so special.
If you want an insight into our volunteers, take a look at our interview with Maureen.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a theatre and cinema enthusiast, our membership packages are designed with you in mind. This year, we’ve loved watching our Under 30s membership go from strength to strength, but we’ve got lots more on offer – including priority access to tickets, local offers, and discounts at our venues!
