However, the number of performances decreased from 397 to 371, a drop of 6.5 per cent. The largest amount of performances held were concerts, followed by serious dramas, comedies and musicals. A substantial number of ‘other’ performances were also organised; these included school activities (such as

prize days), beauty contests and

poetry readings.

Theatre attendance saw a slight drop between 2002 and 2003; from 169,015 to 144,456, a decrease of 14.5 per cent. However, this is still an increase over the 142,437 persons who attended the theatre in 2001.

The most highly attended performances were musicals, comedies and concerts.

Musicals also boast the highest theatre-seat utilisation with 81.3 per cent of seats being filled for these performances.

They are followed by comedies with 67.4 per cent, dramas with 61.1 per cent and operas with 60.8 per cent. Concerts are the least attended performances, with a theatre-seat utilisation rate of 45.2 per cent.

The weighted average for theatre-seat utilisation decreased from 63.1 per cent in 2002 to 59.9 in the year under review.

The number of persons employed in this sector in 2003 stood at 53 – a percentage increase of 3.9 over 2002. Of the workers employed in this year, 71.7 per cent were working on a part-time basis.

This sector also comprises a substantial amount of part-time voluntary workers; these totalled 74 in 2003.

Total theatre income emanates from box office receipts, grants/subsidies and ‘other’ income, with box office receipts contributing the lion’s share of all income.

In 2003, the latter figure stood at nearly Lm0.3 million and made up 51.6 per cent of the total income. The total income in 2003 registered a slight decrease over 2002, from Lm0.62 million to Lm0.57 million.

Theatre running costs have decreased from Lm0.34 million in 2002 to Lm0.32 million in the year under review. The largest portion of expenditure emanated from staff (wages and social security benefits) – these made up 51.8 per cent of all expenditure.

Other operational costs made up 28.1 per cent of the total expenditure.