The theatre name was chosen from over 400 entries in a competition held with the public.
A panel of judges – chaired by the Leader of the Council, Councillor John Cartwright – decided that ‘Aylesbury Waterside Theatre’ was the most appropriate name for the new venue.
Several suggestions that were received included the name ‘Waterside’ and in the end the winner was chosen at random through a prize draw. Councillor Cartwright made the draw and the winner was Mrs Jane Gordon, an Aylesbury resident. Mrs Gordon received a bottle of champagne and will have VIP tickets to the opening show.
Explaining the reasoning behind the theatre name, Councillor Cartwright said: “As a name, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre is strong for two key reasons: firstly Waterside immediately conjures up a positive impression of where the theatre is located. This is important for people who may not know Aylesbury but whom we hope to attract as theatre customers. Secondly, it is important that Aylesbury is included in the name as it means that every time the theatre is promoted, regionally or nationally, Aylesbury’s profile is also raised. Again, this is valuable given our need to attract new economic investment in the area and create new jobs.”
Other popular themes for names were Hampden (a reference to Bucks politician John Hampden), Exchange (relating to the theatre’s location in Exchange Street) and the Aylesbury Duck (the famous breed of duck that originated in the town).
Date Updated: 05/01/09