October 13th, 2026 – Two years on from installing an EM Acoustics loudspeaker system, Theatre Royal Winchester is seeing the benefits play out night after night. The upgrade, which replaced the venue’s existing, ageing audio system, was undertaken to uplift the audience experience, and it has done exactly that, say Technical Manager Tom Pearce and Communications and Development Director Kirstie Mathieson, who report a world of difference to the way customers experience a show.
The theatre is managed by Play to the Crowd, an arts and education charity, and is an historic 400-seat venue in Winchester city centre. Originally a hotel and then converted into a cine-variety theatre in 1914, the venue was destined to be flattened and turned into a car park in the 1970s. A group of enthusiasts fundraised, saved the building and put it into trust, ensuring the protection of its future.
“As the venue wasn’t originally built as a theatre there are lots of quirks,” says Mathieson. “It’s peculiar and has its challenges, but that makes it wonderful and is why people like it. There isn’t really a bad seat in the house, it’s not too overwhelming when you come in, so it’s great for young children as a first experience of a theatre.”
A receiving house, its programme encompasses a mix of comedy, tribute acts, plays, musicals, pantomime, family events and talks. “Comedians come to do work-in-progress gigs here not only because of the proximity to London, but because when they’re on the stage they can see the audience and get that immediate reaction,” Mathieson adds.
The decision to proceed with the audio upgrade was fast-tracked after the theatre’s existing sound system suffered a catastrophic failure. Housed in a roof space that could reach 40 degrees in summer, the old system’s generic, unmanaged amplifiers had been prone to overheating, leaving the theatre increasingly reliant on ageing equipment that could no longer be trusted to see a show through.
Purchased through Stage Electrics, EM Acoustics was chosen for a combination of reasons. One was the manufacturer’s willingness to let the theatre properly test the system before committing: “This system was here on demo for our whole pantomime season, one of our biggest income sources as a venue, and then for a month after that, so we were able to evaluate it across use cases,” Pearce explains. There was also the matter of coverage. “Other manufacturers were proposing line array systems, which was fine for the tribute side of things, but isn’t necessarily suitable for family events and plays,” he adds. “It’s quite in-your-face equipment. Having a powerful point source system, tuned and set up by EM, gives full coverage and is a lot more discreet.”
The finished specification reflects that brief. EM Acoustics’ consultancy team retained much of the theatre’s natural speaker layout while transforming the calibre of hardware within it. The install comprises four R8 Compact 3-Way Passive speakers and two R10 Compact 3-Way Passive speakers, supported by a pair of S-15 Compact Reflex 15” subwoofers. Six EMS-41 Ultra Compact 2-Way Passive loudspeakers and four EMS-51X Ultra Compact Full Range 2-Way speakers provide infill and box coverage across the auditorium’s two levels, while four M-C12 Coaxial Passive Stage Monitors serve the stage.
Amplification is handled by a custom rack, built to the venue’s specification and housing five EM Acoustics DQ10D amplifiers, relocated from the original roof space into cooler surroundings as a stopgap ahead of a planned, climate-controlled equipment room in the theatre’s next infrastructure phase.
Where the venue’s box seats previously suffered from poor coverage, dedicated infill speakers now give those audience areas their own mix, and the centre cluster of two R8s provides excellent vocal intelligibility across the auditorium. Customer feedback, gathered after every show, confirms that there has been a significant sonic improvement in audience experience. Visiting acts notice the difference as well. “We get a lot of tribute acts who come in with a PA on their van and ask to listen to ours first,” says Pearce. “They plug in an iPhone, listen to their favourite song, and go: ‘yeah, that’s good, isn’t it, I’m not bringing mine in’.’”
What stands out for the theatre, though, is the aftersales relationship. EM Acoustics has built an enviable reputation for being approachable and responsive, with a direct line to a team who know the system well. “Having that personable, know-your-kit-inside-out factor is really helpful,” says Pearce.
With the system bedded in, the theatre is already looking at what comes next: a Dante-based Auracast assistive listening system to replace the hearing loop, made possible by the venue’s decision to standardise on Dante throughout. The sound system was funded by the theatre’s restoration levy, a small charge added to every ticket and reinvested into the building’s infrastructure. “It’s important for people to know that with every ticket purchase, they’re investing in this building,” says Mathieson.
The venue punches well above its 400-seat capacity, and the sound system is now part of the reason people keep coming back. “Audiences have to have the best experience,” Mathieson concludes. “It’s about that whole experience, from booking, to the warm welcome when they arrive, to the show itself. That’s how we differentiate ourselves from other venues and the EM system is helping us do that.”