Dundee Rep saw its income return to pre-pandemic levels, despite Covid “significantly impacting” trading.
Newly published accounts, which also include Scottish Dance Theatre, show a £1 million rise in income for the year to the end of March 2022.
A lack of live performances had seen costs fall dramatically in 2021, but these increased from £2.8m to £4.2m for the reporting period.
A report by chair Susan Hetrick published alongside the accounts said Covid remained a major factor.
It read: “The Covid pandemic continued to significantly impact on her operations and box office income during this period.
“There were periods of closure to due to social distancing that made opening the theatre impractical and costly to open, as well as complete closure for periods of time.”
Remaining ‘versatile’ key for Dundee Rep
However, Ms Hetrick said the ability to remain “versatile” kept productions running through the year.
With Covid restrictions meaning the auditorium was closed until September 2021, it launched Rep Studios in April 2021.
The digital platform allowed Dundee Rep to showcase theatre, dance and music performances digitally.
Ms Hetrick’s report said that allowed Dundee Rep to reach audiences not just across Scotland, but worldwide.
She added: “We were able to create 11 brand new full skill digital productions and presented 215 new digital performances to audiences across Scotland and the UK, as well as reaching audiences around the globe.
“The ramifications from the Covid pandemic continue to contribute to ongoing uncertainty that faces all cultural sector organisations.
“Many theatre goers were and continue to be cautious to return to live performances.”
She was also pleased to report no jobs had been lost through the pandemic.
Ms Hetrick added The Rep has a “significant role” to play in local communities.
She added: “We also honoured all commitments to freelance and self-employed members of our team in the period.
“We viewed this as part of our responsibility to the cultural sector and our community. It is heavily reliant on a talented pool of freelance specialists.”
Pride at ‘inspiring’ Dundee Rep work
She said the Dundee Rep board is “incredibly proud” of the work produced over the period, which she hailed as “inspiring, innovative and impactful”.
And she said there are reasons to be optimistic for the future.
Ms Hetrick said: “The resilience and determination of every member of the organisation played a vital role in what was achieved.
“The next period brings optimism and excitement around what we believe is possible as one of Scotland’s leading cultural organisations.”
