Mission & Vision

York Theatre Royal is the oldest continuously operating theatre company in the English speaking world. It is a cultural hub for York, North Yorkshire and beyond, and is recognised nationally for the scale of its integration with the people of the city and the region.

York Theatre Royal is one of the region’s most successful producing theatres welcoming more than 185,000 visitors each year to a unique 275 year old building in the heart of the beautiful and historic city of York – www.visityork.org.

Supported by Arts Council England and City of York Council, the Theatre Royal provides an exciting mixed programme of work in our 760 seat main house, 70 seat Studio Theatre and in amazing site specific locations throughout the city.

We have an international reputation for the outstanding quality of our own produced work, as well as long standing partnerships with many other creative organisations including Pilot Theatre and Wise Children. We also welcome a range of the country’s leading touring companies to York including Ballet Black and English Touring Opera to offer a different perspective to our audiences – www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

York Theatre Royal is a brave creative hub at the heart of the city, and it is here for you.
These stages, buildings and our city will thrive with live performance of exceptional quality made with you – the world’s most exciting artists – with more of the world’s most exciting artists.

York Theatre Royal re-opened on 17 May 2021 as an organisation determined to:

• Be more innovative, far-reaching and pro-active in helping our entire community live creative lives

• Be organisationally robust in order that we might be ambitious, risk-taking and forward thinking

• Be admired locally and nationally as an inspirational city theatre for the post-pandemic era• Be leaders on diversity in our community

• Acknowledge, in every aspect of our work, that climate change profoundly affects this community