Dinner Theatre opens in Sunderland
February 10, 2008
Towards the end of last year Sunderland’s newest entertainment venue. “The Theatre Restaurant “opened giving people the opportunity to have a meal while enjoying a show.
Popular in America, this is the first of its kind in the Northeast of England. The venue opened on the corner of John Street and High Street West in what is fast becoming Sunderland’s entertainment sector. The venue incorporates a theatre and restaurant on the first floor. Customers do not have to move from their seats as they dine and watch this fabulous entertainment.
With the popularity of musical theatre growing in recent years, this exciting new “house of Variety” offers a unique professional night of fun for those who love good food and fabulous entertainment. Audiences can book for a night of top class musical theatre and variety shows with a fabulous 3-course meal. It’s ideal for a very special occasion, birthdays, anniversary’s, hen nights, and meeting friends or for a romantic table for two.
This venue is a break from the normal, and when customers arrive they will be escorted to their table, which is also their theatre seat. They will enjoy their meal, and then the curtain goes up as we present our feature show. Shows will change every six weeks, with the toe tapping, hilarious 50s/60s musical called Venus In Blue Jeans currently playing. (its an alternative look at the story of Romeo and Juliet with famous songs from the 50s and 60s). Further details can be found on the website www.thetheatrerestaurant.com
So who is behind this venture? Well that is Andrea Holmes and her family
Being brought up in a family that loved musicals, and grandparents who both sang, both in the clubs of the North East and for local amateur groups, it was only a matter of time before Andrea Holmes was caught up in the magic of musical theatre.
After training at the London Academy of Live and Performing Arts as a stage manager, and gaining a first class honours degree in performance arts studies, her passion for musicals drove her to seeking out a venue, which would be perfect to open a theatre restaurant.
Over the past ten years she has dreamt of opening this type of venue to the public of the North East. Finally the right venue was found on John Street, Sunderland, in the heart of what is fast becoming the entertainments district of Sunderland.
The venue is very much a family business, and would not have come to fruition if it were not for the investment of her father, local northeast businessman Ray Holmes. Ray has managed the renovation and practicalities of building a new theatre, and has tirelessly worked to develop this project from a dream to a reality. Together, Andrea, Dad Ray, Mum Rhoda and brothers Scott and Raymond believe that this venue will bring fun and a good night out to the people of the North East.
They firmly believe that Musical Theatre has its own brand of magic. With song, dance and fantastic librettos audiences are transported into a different world, a world, which is far away from the day-to-day realities of our lives, and into a world full of romance and adventure. Musical theatre in the main represents the world, as it should be, ordinary situations are transformed in musical theatre to the spectacular, outrages, exciting and unique and has a magical way of affirming life as a celebration rather than a chore.
The Theatre restaurant has its manifesto caught up in this magic. Andrea aims to take customers on a magical journey as they encounter the many exciting shows the venue has in store for the coming seasons. “The venue will be that of celebration. And our aim is to invest our experience and passion of musical theatre to our customer’s enjoyment of all that is musicality”.
My wife and I were taken to see their Christmas show Is A Wonderful Life by friends and it was amazing to see how the whole concept comes together. You are taken upstairs to a theatre where instead of rows of seats you have small tables , but it is easy for groups to re arrange the chairs for a chat until the show starts, when you do need to be back in your predetermined rows.
Waiters and waitresses quickly serve you drinks and you enjoy you starter and main course before the show starts, then just sit back with a drink and enjoy the first act. At the interval you are served your dessert and then the second act starts. After the show there was a first class cabaret/sing along in which some of the cast and waitresses joined in that lasted just over thirty minutes.
Later this year they are looking at starting DISNEY themed Sunday lunches and I would certainly consider taking our two daughters as the whole concept was refreshingly different.
This is a venue that deserves to be supported and offers another angle to the already excellent live entertainment we have in the North East.
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