Octagon boss up for Theatre Manager of the Year Award

THE arts and entertainment manager at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil has been nominated for a top award.

Adam Burgan (pictured) is in the running to win the Theatre Manager of the Year accolade at the National Encore Theatre Awards for a second year running.

He will be looking to retain the title he won in 2012 at the awards ceremony to be held later this year.

Adam said he was “amazed and delighted” to have been nominated after winning last year and will compete alongside other theatre managers from across the country.

The award is voted for by theatre colleagues including actors, producers, other theatre staff and readers of the magazine.

The South Somerset District Council owned and managed venue is enjoying a hugely successful period following the huge success of the pantomime, Aladdin, and the new panto producers – Evolution Productions are also up for an award – Producer of the Year. 

PHOTO: Adam Burgan - 'amazed and delighted' at award nomination.

In the last year, the Octagon Theatre has programmed a string of big-name stars including Paul Carrack, City of London Sinfonia, Joan Armatrading, Dave Gorman, Greg Davies and Grand State Opera of Belarus, with the coming season seeing performances from Al Murray, Seth Lakeman, Timothy West and ‘Stars of Strictly’ – Pasha and Katya.

The theatre has also secured its first Arts Council funding with a grant of £77,000 for a two year dance programme.

Under Adam’s leadership, Somerset’s Premier Theatre has also launched The Octagon Academy - a participatory programme which boasts a choir and a programme of dance classes for children and adults in styles from tap to ballroom, Zumba to Streetdance. 

Adam said, “It was a lovely surprise to be nominated and win at last year’s award. I think the award was in recognition of all the hard work and success we have been enjoying at The Octagon and that really is very much a team effort from all our staff, our wonderful volunteers in The Foyer Club, our colleagues and members at SSDC who give us so much support and our audiences who make our work so worthwhile.

"I felt incredibly proud to bring back the title and trophy for The Octagon. To be nominated again this year was a real surprise and I hope that we’ll be able to secure enough votes to retain the title.

"The Octagon is a very special place to be and we enjoy a very good relationship with our producers try to make every artist feel welcome. I think I'm most proud that the Octagon really is at the heart of the community in South Somerset and is such a popular and well-loved venue.”

The council's leisure and culture spokesman, Cllr Sylvia Seal, said: Adam won Theatre Manager of the Year last year and we are proud to say that he has once again been nominated for the award and has the honour of defending his title."

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