Speaking at Theatre Conference 2026 with Spektrix, Olivier Award winning actress Julie Hesmondhalgh delivered a love letter to the power of regional theatre and the sector’s ability to heal social divides.
Acknowledging the threat the UK theatre industry faces from rising costs and the erosion of arts education, Hesmondhalgh called for Government to put culture at the “front and centre in government policy and funding” so that the sector can find “new ways to not merely survive but thrive.”
Theatre Brings People Together
Hesmondhalgh spoke to the magic of theatre to bring people together at times of division, praising how it provides “a space where difficult conversations are held safely, where complexity is allowed to exist, and where stories illuminate experiences different from our own.”
Reflecting on her experience in Punch, for which she won the 2026 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Julie said that it was a perfect example of how theatre can spark important conversations about the world we live in, pointing out that the “distinctly local Nottingham story of Punch” has now been seen by 146,000 people worldwide and discussed in classrooms, courtrooms and the House of Commons.
The Enduring Influence of Regional Theatre and Local Storytelling
Julie gave an impassioned speech about the importance of regional theatre, highlighting how the campaign to save Oldham Coliseum succeeded because the people of Oldham “demanded that their theatre be saved and invested in, not just as a place of heritage, but as a living breathing playhouse.” She went on to say, “for a post-industrial northern town to have its own working producing house theatre and one that engendered such a sense of ownership amongst its audiences, was a beautiful and rare thing – and utterly irreplaceable.”
To shine a light on the position of regional theatres at the beating heart of British cultural life, SOLT & UK Theatre have been running a Love your Local Theatre campaign to celebrate the vital role of regional venues as incubators of talent and hubs of creativity that sustain the wider theatre ecosystem.
The Challenges for Theatre Across the Country
Earlier this year, In the Theatre in the UK Report 2026, SOLT & UK Theatre warned that the popularity of theatre attendance did not automatically translate into financial sustainability. More than a third of theatre organisations are forecasting an operating deficit this year, and margins are being squeezed as costs continue to rise.
Hesmondhalgh noted that despite everyone’s best efforts “many companies, buildings and institutions are struggling right now. The very real risk of cuts to the arts in the coming years pose an existential threat to theatre.”
She highlighted the “strategic erosion of arts education” and called Government’s commitment to scrap the EBacc as “promising start” but added that it will take a generation to reverse the cultural shift that has played out in the way art subjects are taught in schools, and how the arts and humanities are not often viewed as worthwhile career pursuits for working class young people.
SOLT & UK Theatre: Continuing the Campaign
The conference was opened by SOLT & UK Theatre Co-CEOs, Claire Walker and Hannah Essex who said the industry should be proud that theatres across the country are not only entertaining audiences, but bringing their communities together as civic anchors.
The Theatre in the UK 2026 report calls for targeted policy changes to stabilise the sector and unlock further growth. These include reforming business rates for theatres, strengthening Theatre Tax Relief to support touring productions, introducing stronger incentives for philanthropy, and ensuring public funding settlements keep pace with inflation.
Walker and Essex said that these measures would not only help the sector to thrive but would enable theatre makers to focus on harnessing their limitless creativity, resilience, and ambition to continue to produce the best theatre in the world.
You can read Julie Hesmondhalgh’s full speech here
You can read Claire Walker and Hannah Essex’s full speech here
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