Trafalgar Entertainment has acquired its first Scottish venue, the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.
Located on Renfield Street, the 1,449-capacity theatre is one of the oldest in Scotland.
Since opening in 1904, the theatre has hosted everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Billy Connolly.
In March 2018, it was damaged by a fire in neighbouring buildings on Sauchiehall Street and closed for repairs for several months.
While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, previous owners the Martin family put the venue up for sale for £3.9m, with Trafalgar stepping in to save it after talks with another potential buyer broke down.
Dame Rosemary Squire, co-founder of Trafalgar Entertainment, said: “We are thrilled and delighted to have the opportunity to be the future operators of The Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.
“Over the past five-decades the current owners, the general manager Iain Gordon, and his team have done a fantastic job.”
Trafalgar Theatres chief executive Helen Enright said: “We are committed to building on their success – continuing to do what the Pavilion does best, maintaining the legacy of one of Glasgow’s best-loved and best-supported pantomimes, increasing the number of shows presented, investing in the building, growing audiences and ensuring a successful future for this beautiful, iconic theatre.”
Gordon, general manager at The Pavilion Theatre since 1984, will be retiring from his role as part of the changes.
“The time is right - and this is the right time for me to move onto pastures new - having been employed by the Pavilion since 1977, I am proud to have been a part of taking the theatre to where it is now,“ he commented.
“I would like to thank our audience who have all supported me and the Pavilion over the years and I am confident they will continue to do so.”
Co-founded by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 2017, Trafalgar Entertainment is a live-entertainment business focussed on new productions, venue ownership, performing arts education and theatre ticketing.
Trafalgar Theatres comprises Trafalgar Theatre and Olympia Theatre in London, Theatre Royal Sydney, and 12 UK regional theatres, including Southend Cliffs Pavilion, the New Theatre, Cardiff, G Live and Wycombe Swan.
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