The last show we did turned out as a supper show, as we did it in a Lawn Bowls Sports Club, we charged $10 /$15 per head, they kept the charge for the meal & what they made at the Bar , we got full houses, so where very happy.

Lots of excellent information here.

In our case the restaurant will be doing all the advertising which will include print, radio and TV.  They will also take care of all ticket sales.  However, I can easily take everything you've given me and translate it into what we need to do.  If nothing else it's a great staring place.

Thank you for your help.

While I love doing theatre, I love the behind the scenes stuff a lot more.  It's the production part that I enjoy the most.  I've been in the restaurant business myself for over 30 years, so that gives me some perspective on both sides.  There is no way I would touch this without a contract and everything else spelled out.

In all fairness to those responding ... I can't give you the entire scenario of this situation till it gets closer to being a done deal, but this could lead to season of four shows a year with a larger summer musical thrown in at another location. 

I'm trying to temper my excitement over this new opportunity with realism, which is had to do sometimes considering we've been without an actual home for a very long time.

Thanks, Joe.  Great story about the way the theatre evolved.  It's great to hear success stories like that.  It makes you think there are actually possibilities.

Most of the time these things are just a dream.  Then ... for someone it becomes a reality.  Who knows?

Themed dinner theatre shows have proved to work well for a long time now, along with the old addage of - 'a good show means a poor fare' & vicki verka!
Frank Baden-Powell was the character to first start them here. [He reckons to be a distant cousin of Lord Robert Baden-Powell of Gilwell - Founder of the Boy Scout Movement & first World Chief Scout]
He was pro Actor who came here as a 10 Quid Pohm.
In those days there was less than 600 thousand people in the whole State, of which the majority live in Perth. In fact after 7pm on a saturday night, when the bus stopped running, you could fire off a machine gun in the main city street & not hit anyone.
He took on a gamble to start up the Fairlanes Bowling Alley, which was the first automatic Brunswick one here. there was the old 4 lane Rosemount Bowl, which still had boys as pin setters, this had been operating since WWII when the Yanks were here.
  The Group hit on the Old Time Music Hole & I'm not sure what happened, beyond it becoming the owner as Frank Baden-Powell Enterprises over night.
He employed a lot of fperformers over the years & created a lot of work in the entaiment industry here, than there is today. I liked & worked for old Frank, but  but he was a character, if you shook his hand - you had to count your fingers afterwards.
  He became quite a famous & colourfull character here.
When he eventualy fell off the perch & turned up his clogs, his Enterprise was wound down & does not exist these days.
Max Kaye (Andy Stewarts ex-manger of 'Donal wheres ye troosers' fame) Started up his own theme diner  theatre '10 past 8 show, he did in his'venue which ran for about 10 years, but it  closed a few years ago, when he retired. There is only one show left & that is the 'Olivers Old Time Music Hall ' which is a hire-in company, 'you furnish the venue & meal  - they supply the show'.
But with Frank the biggest cion spinner was his "Dirty Dick;s" [A 'Dick' or 'Dyk' in old English was the generic name used for a 'Dog' (hence the dessert known as 'Spotted Dick' which is a pastrie, with currents & treacle added)]. The theatre was set up with long tables that seats 8 - 10 at them. The punters on the table would elect a Baron of the banquet table, who would suppervise dowelling out the meal from large food plates. The main menu was a chioce of Beef, fish or chicken, with roast spuds ect. Served by scantly dressed buxom wenchs of course. the show was performed by about 4 singers who doubled as wandering minstrals as well as getting the punters involved, the table Barons  were the main target of jokes & the show. Each punter was given a paper bib to wear , with different famous Lord or Lady names printed on them, from history.
It was performed to an aude lib script & the format was based on old English revelry at it's best.
Technicaly not that nuch needed in the way of lights or audio, only a small raised palatform as a stage & a kitchen of course, It held about 150 & employed only about  8  people in total, as they would all double up doing multi jobs, even the performing minstrals. The kitchen had little equipment beyond a stove/oven, dishwasher & baine maries, in fact the Bar was better equipt.
His initail set up was all with second hand gear, bought cheap at auctions or fell off the back of a truck. Beyond Health & Safety restrictions & the Liquor Licencing requirements, it cost very little to set up.
So if you can think up a good local theme, with just a few Bob to back you - your in busness.