Organisational Insight: Polyglot Theatre

Simon Abrahams, General Manager of Polyglot Theatre likes to think of it as the little company that could. From losing half it's core funding in 2007 the company has turned itself around and taken on the world.
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Back in 1978 when Polyglot Theatre started, and pretty much for the next 20 or so years, it was a little company with relatively small ambitions. They created new shows each year that they performed in their Cromwell Road Theatre and that could be packed into the back of a van with just a few people to tour Victorian schools. The work was always highly imaginative, child-focussed and of a high quality but the model of the company was pretty simple. Over the past five years, however, things have really changed.

In 2010, Polyglot had extended their reach to an audience of around 100,000 people giving 157 performances of seven different works. They now tour Europe, Asia and America as well as nationally, and employ up to 35 people over the course of the year. In 2007 the company’s annual turn over was around $500k but in 2012 they expect it to reach $1.4m.

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Fiona Mackrell
About the Author
Fiona Mackrell is a Melbourne based freelancer. You can follow her at @McFifi or check out www.fionamackrell.com