Champagne corks were popping at this year’s Torbay Business Awards when the theatre was shortlisted in three categories. But it was theatre Operations Director, Maureen McAllister, that was the winner of the night, collecting the award for Inspirational Leadership.

In 2017 Maureen took on a 6-month contract to manage the Palace Theatre Paignton, a theatre threatened with closure in desperate need of an injection of positivity and drive. Maureen brought together a team and set up a Community Interest Company – Jazz Hands CIC. In 2018, Maureen, supported by her fellow directors, Deirdre Makepeace and Colin Spencer Halsey, signed a 25 year lease for this cultural hub in Paignton,  spearheading a new way forward for the Palace Theatre.

The Jazz Hands team has completely revamped and re-energised the theatre and its programme. A positive and customer focused team has positioned the Palace as a vibrant, welcoming and inclusive venue. The theatre now stages over 260 performances per year and welcomes over 31,000 people; with occupancy levels tracking well above the national average for small theatres and glowing recommendations from audiences.

‘Lovely theatre. Keep up the good work.’

‘We all really enjoyed the performance and it was one of the highlighted of our holiday.’

‘The staff very amazing. Happy and helpful which elevated my experience.’

Keep doing what you’re doing. Show was great. Staff were friendly. Auditorium is a great venue.’

The Jazz Hands vision is for the theatre to be so much more than a performance venue. It is a licensed wedding venue, a popular party, event and meeting venue and space for workshops and classes and it has held exhibitions, launches, filming and conferences.  Maureen is the face of the Palace Theatre, she proudly tells the story of Jazz Hands, of the team and of the theatre; she is focused on making sure the Palace is the best that it can possibly be.

Positive audience feedback is echoed by production companies and artists that use the theatre who are welcomed and supported. Word has definitely spread that this is a popular venue for visiting shows and celebrities.

‘Focused, driven, engaged, Maureen represents the best of Britain’s regional arts centre and works tirelessly to ensure the venue she leads punches above its weight. Her energy, her focus on warmth and being welcoming, and her diligence help her to stand out from the crowd.  I’ll focus on the qualities where she’s ahead of her peer group and the key attribute is making people welcome, which makes all the difference. On a recent artist tour, an established artist who is in his fourth decade in the live industry ranked Paignton as his number one venue – for the reasons outlined above’ Andy Richardson. Founder. Away with Media.

‘Maureen is a force of nature when it comes to business in the South West. We were introduced when she began operating the Palace Theatre in Paignton. Despite being faced with numerous challenges of a rundown venue and the most dire situation posed to the entertainment industry in history (Covid) – which took many other venues down with it – Maureen has developed and grown the theatre into a multifaceted venue. It is one of our favourites to visit with our portfolio of productions’ Matt Brinkler. Producer, RED Entertainment

The team also celebrated their nominations for Small business of the Year and the Greener Future Award at the award ceremony in June 2024. These nominations recognise the importance of the success of this theatre in the heart of Paignton and also the ambitious investments in making the business as green as it possible can be.

Looking to the future the vision is for Jazz Hands is to provide safe hands for creative spaces, strong hands for community partnerships and helping hands for the cultural sector – supporting new talent and existing partnerships.  The direction of travel is that the Palace will be a place which both celebrates and inspires local talent, which brings aspirational events and performances to local people, local performers and visitors alike and which roots its activities in the foundations of the English Riviera and shining a light on the potential of the place and its people and this will be her lasting legacy.

Reflecting on six years at the helm of the Palace Theatre Maureen says: ‘Our passion for this theatre continues with ambitious plans for the future but it is good that we all reflect on an amazing six years for Jazz Hands CIC at the Palace. I could write a list as long as your arm about all the things we have achieved as a team and I am so proud of every step we have taken. Most of all we’d like to thank our customers that continue to support us’

• More shows and bigger audiences
• The addition of a very busy programme of events in Stage Left; weddings, business meetings, exhibitions, exercise and more
• Strengthened  working partnerships with Bijou Theatre Productions, Paignton Pantomime Productions and Doorstep Arts
• A growing team of staff and volunteers helping to create the amazing customer experience that is often noted by customers
• A huge investment in both general maintenance and in sustainable enhancements of this old Victorian building including efficient aircon and LED lighting throughout (and there are a LOT of lights on our stage!)

Palace team Ian, Maureen, Clive and Sarah at the Awards night

Palace staff and volunteers gather for festivities in December 2023