Playhouse Appoints Key Staff

The Playhouse Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, continues to undergo a major £8 million redevelopment to transform it into a theatre for the future.Due to re-open in September this year, it will boast an elegant new glass foyer, front of house facilities, box office and bar facilities with a sea view; in addition it will feature a re-designed auditorium with new seating, corporate facility, new green room and chorus rooms.

The venue will be managed by SMG Europe (who locally own and manage Newcastle’s  Metro Radio Arena and the Journal Tyne Theatre ) who have announced their first key staff appointments at the Theatre;

Ailsa Oliver will take over the day to day management of the venue as Theatre Director.  Ailsa, currently Theatre Director of sister venue The Journal Tyne Theatre has worked her way up within SMG over 14 years and brings 5 years of Theatre general management experience.

Jacqueline Di Duca has also been with SMG for 14 years, and will use her experience as Box Office Manager at Metro Radio Arena for over 10 years to set up the new box office operation at the Playhouse as Box Office Manager.

Nichola McKenna returned to SMG 5 years ago having worked within the organization prior as a student placement.  She joins The Playhouse team as Marketing Executive, responsible for all aspects of venue and event marketing & PR, following similar roles at both The Journal Tyne Theatre and Metro Radio Arena.

All three appointments are from the North East, two from North Tyneside with one of them living a stone’s throw from the venue!

The transformation of the venue, situated on Marine Avenue, is a key part of North Tyneside Council’s £64million regeneration programme for Whitley Bay. 

Further announcements regarding an event programme will be made shortly, but we believe this will include the current tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Bob the Builder. 
Further details on all aspects of the venue can be found on the new venue website: www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk