Trafalgar Entertainment acquires regional operator HQ Theatres

Trafalgar Entertainment, the company founded and operated by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, has acquired the major UK regional theatre operator HQ Theatres.

Panter and Squire's new venture, which they launched in 2016 after stepping down from Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), has grown at a rapid pace. This year it will unveil the redeveloped Trafalgar Theatre in the West End as well as the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Sydney.

HQ was founded as part of Nick Thomas's Qdos Entertainment Group. It operates 11 venues in the UK including Southend Cliffs Pavilion, G Live in Guildford, Bromley's Churchill Theatre and the Orchard Theatre, Dartford.

Rosemary Squire said: "HQ Theatres is a fantastic business and on behalf of the team at Trafalgar Entertainment, we're thrilled to be partnering with them for the future. It's a credit to the whole team that they have navigated the recent closure period so successfully and are poised to emerge intact and well placed for future growth as the sector rebuilds."

Julian Russell, CEO of HQ Theatres added: "Today's announcement is a vote of confidence for our business and for the sector as a whole. It is also an acknowledgment of the extraordinary commitment, dedication and hard work of the entire HQ team. After a tumultuous 2020 this partnership will help to fast-track our recovery plans and offers a range of exciting opportunities for the development of HQ Theatres in the future."

Further details of the deal, which was completed on 27 March, were not disclosed.