Fergal McGrath will step down as manager of the Town Hall Theatre Galway at the end of the year to make way for the return of Michael Diskin when the latter’s leave of absence ends.
Mr McGrath, a former manager of Galway Arts Festival and managing director of Druid, has been the driving force behind a number of programme, marketing, and facility enhancements at the Galway City Council owned Town Hall and Black Box theatres over the past two and a half years.
Paid attendances at the both venues have increased significantly during that period - up 33 per cent to 136,000 last year, and up a further 26 per cent in the January to May period this year.
“We’re now selling more tickets than the Abbey Theatre,” Mr McGrath told the Galway Advertiser, “in a city of just 70,000. Galway audiences are to be congratulated for turning out in such numbers to support events in their local municipal theatres.”
The Town Hall Theatre is currently closed for the refurbishment of its main auditorium, including the installation of new seating and a digital projection system, new telephone system, a database-driven box office system, and an infrared transmission/ loop system for the benefit of those with a hearing impediment. A new floor has been installed at the Black Box.
This ambitious programme will require a total investment of more than €750,000 with the theatre committing to raising one-third of this itself and to generating the balance from a range of local and national sources.
The theatre already has €70,000 of its own contribution in place from an Arts Council/Irish Film Board grant. To assist the theatre raising the additional €180,000 within three years, it has undertaken a number of internal cost-cutting measures and also introduced a 50c refurbishment and development levy on every ticket sold since April.
The Town Hall will reopen on Tuesday July 7 for the Galway Film Fleadh followed by the Galway Arts Festival which begins on Monday July 13. The venue will close again during the early part of Race Week for additional works.
Mr McGrath has not confirmed his future plans but is expected to continue working on business development projects in the cultural sector.
