The Octagon's annual report for January to December 2024 shows "record-breaking performances" and an expansion of the theatre's work in the community, plus it has reached wider audiences with its touring co-productions.
The report showed that 87,562 people attended productions over the year, one of the highest in the theatre's history, with 70,323 attending an Octagon co-production whilst on tour, including Animal Farm and Brassed Off.
Its Affordable Ticket Scheme allowed 1,457 people from low-income households to see a production, and education programmes providing opportunities for schoolchildren to attend productions and delivering drama and storytelling sessions reached 12,046 pupils from 152 schools.
The report claims that its activities have provided £10 million of economic activity to Bolton and the surrounding area, and, using government research into the effects of attending or participating in arts events on health, that this meant a saving of more than £500,000 to the NHS.
During the year, the Octagon won Greater Manchester Medium Business of the Year at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Excellence Awards and was shortlisted for the UK Theatre Awards' Most Welcoming Theatre title. Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham won the Women in Leadership award at the SheInspires Awards and has been nominated in the Power List and Agent of Change categories at the 2025 Northern Power Women’s Awards.
Octagon’s Chief Executive, Roddy Gauld, said, “reflecting on the figures, it is remarkable to see what we have accomplished—just a few years on from our redevelopment and the pandemic—with one of the highest attendance levels in our history. The business landscape is tough, with costs rising right across the organisation. We are working hard and making changes to keep up, and we are so encouraged by the rising audience numbers. Hopefully this is a great sign for the wider theatre and cultural landscape in the coming years.”