Case Study
Improving energy efficiency in a theatre
The Players Theatre, a stalwart of the arts community in Thame, was built in 1913. It hosts a 129 seat auditorium with tiered rows, associated backstage areas including a kitchenette and costume room, plus a bar and toilets at the front of the building. The theatre is used for approximately 50 performances a year with rehearsals twice a week.
Why efficiency took centre stage…
As a charity-run building, the team behind The Players Theatre were becoming increasingly aware of rising energy costs. This, along with a desire to position the theatre as an example of a climate-resilient building to the community, led the team to apply for an Energy Solutions Oxfordshire (ESOx) energy assessment in June 2023.
Spotlighting energy savings in our report
The ESOx team found a number of ways the theatre team could help to improve the energy efficiency of the theatre, built inside a converted church hall. These recommendations included:
- Programming hot water in line with hot water requirement.
- Installing light covers to reduce wasting heat and reduce annual energy bills.
- Adding solar PV panels to the roof to save up to 8,952kWh per year.
- Installing an air to air heat pump system to both heat and cool sections of the building.
57,811kWh
electricity used per year
£4,082
potential savings on bills per year
6.48 tCO2e
potential savings per year
Curtains up on a more sustainable theatre
Following our report, the Thame Players team got straight to work, installing a new air to air heat pump system and carrying out checks of water and electricity usage.
In February 2025, work was completed on a solar array of 26 panels on the roof, providing energy for the theatre below. Thame Players were fortunate to have received grants from four sources: The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), The Westmill Solar Cooperative, Oxfordshire County Council’s Councillor Priority Fund, and South Oxfordshire District Council’s Councillor Community Fund.
“We are conscious that, as one of Thame’s assets, we need to be responsible custodians, showing our audiences and the wider community that we are an environmentally responsible organisation that cares about our community’s future and that of the planet. This has been quite a journey but, before long, the theatre will be reaping the environmental and financial benefits from its new energy source, as we work towards reducing our carbon footprint. With lower overheads, the theatre will become more resilient, and we can put savings towards other uses, for example improving our facilities and the audience experience.”
Mike Rochford, Chair of Thame Players