Winner announced in theatre naming competition
Archived press release
Date Published: 11/08/08
The new theatre is due to open in early 2010
One lucky winner has emerged in the competition to name the new theatre being built in Aylesbury.
The popular competition, run by Aylesbury Vale District Council, attracted nearly 400 entries from local residents.
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 will be receiving a bottle of champagne and 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.”
Councillor Cartwright added: “We are grateful that local people took advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the naming of the theatre. We received more suggestions than we expected and it’s clear that people put a lot of thought into devising a name.”
Other popular themes for names were Hampden (a reference to Buckinghamshire 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).
Mrs Gordon said: “I'm thrilled at the prospect of the new theatre. It will be absolutely great to see more high quality entertainment and theatre productions attracted to Aylesbury. My husband and family are looking forward to some fun evenings in a pleasant venue. Hopefully it will be somewhere for all ages, so that I can bring my grandchildren along at times too.”
The new theatre, designed by architects RHWL, is due to open in early 2010 and will replace Aylesbury Civic Centre. Facilities will include a 1,200-seat main auditorium which converts into a 1,800-capacity hall and a 220-seat suite for smaller events.
Funded by the district council, the theatre will be operated by a commercial operator, to be named in the autumn.