MICHAEL Jones Jeweller has renewed its sponsorship agreement with Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre.
The retailer has a longstanding relationship with the theatre, having been the primary sponsor of its Made in Northampton productions for the last seven years, as well as being an established Business Club partner.
The Made in Northampton shows have brought the theatre national recognition, with recent productions such as The Pope premiering at Royal & Derngate in 2019, subsequently inspiring a major film. It returned once again in 2022 as part of a national tour under the new title The Two Popes.
Other recent successes include The Worst Witch which transferred to the West End, winning Best Family Show in the 2020 Olivier Awards, and a production of Michael Rosen’s Unexpected Twist which toured extensively last year. The theatre’s most recent production, Moby Dick, has been touring the UK after opening in Northampton in April.
Main picture: Chris Smith, development manager at the Royal & Derngate, and Michael Jones Jeweller director Mark Conway.
Director Mark Conway said: “Royal & Derngate Theatre is such an important part of Northampton, bringing quality productions and engaging performances to our local community, promoting creativity and culture in Northamptonshire.
“Michael Jones Jeweller are delighted to support Made in Northampton and are looking forward to all of the productions in the coming year.”
The new enhanced agreement demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to supporting locally produced work, he added.
As part of the increased benefits, the Michael Jones Jeweller logo will feature on all the new recyclable coffee cups used at the theatre and Northampton Filmhouse bars. A dedicated poster site at the theatre will direct customers to the Michael Jones stores.
Royal & Derngate’s chief executive Jo Gordon said: “We are hugely grateful to Michael Jones Jeweller for their continued support of our seasons of Made in Northampton productions. They are such brilliant champions of the town and its activities and we are thrilled to be able to continue our association. Support from businesses, like this celebrated partnership with Michael Jones, is absolutely essential in being able to proudly create brand new groundbreaking theatre here in the county for our audiences to enjoy.”
