Theatr Hafren Newtown, Powys

Drama, what drama?
…smoking’s final curtain

A tribute to the Blues Brothers is one thing but a tribute to second-hand smoke is not something Theatr Hafren would ever stage as part of its events programme. This acclaimed arts venue, built in 1983 and on the outskirts of Newtown, has been smoke-free for over a year, and with a catchment area as far afield as Oswestry, Llanidloes, Builth Wells and Shreswbury, the venue is a lifeline for the arts in mid Wales and beyond.

With seven full-time staff and a capacity of 550 in the main auditorium, the smoke-free policy has even won the respect of hardened smokers who commonly used the box office corridor; bar and even the auditorium itself when smoking was king. The venue now showcases regular productions acts as diverse as the Birmingham Stage Company, Theatr Clwyd and the Diversions dance company.

Sara Clutton the venue’s administrator, said, “As the home of mid-Wales opera, a good pair of lungs are no strangers to this place. We wanted to keep those lungs as healthy as they could be while they were at Theatr Hafren".

"We have not suffered financially in the least or even received one letter of complaint or bad word since we enforced the smoking ban. It is now a much nicer place to visit and it’s so nice to be able to go home at night and not smell like an ashtray."