THEATREGOERS will have to pay more in future to see one of the region's oldest amateur acting companies.

Sunderland's Royalty Theatre has been forced to push up the cost of tickets because its growing turnover in the last few years has taken it beyond the threshold for VAT registration.

Managers at the theatre, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, must now pay VAT of 17.5 per cent and have reluctantly decided the only way to claw back the money is to increase prices.

From October, prices for adults will rise from £5 to £6.50 and concessionary prices will increase from £3 to £4.

Theatre spokesman Martin Wallwork said: "We didn't want to raise admission prices by so much in one go, but we were left with no alternative.

"In a way, we are victims of our own success. Our turnover has increased markedly in the last few years, partly because our popular Christmas panto brings in thousands of pounds each year."

The Royalty's 2001-2002 season begins with Woody Allen's Play It Again Sam and also includes Alan Ayckbourn's A Chorus of Disapproval and Terence Rattigan's The Deep Blue Sea.

This year's pantomime, which is being written by David Farn, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, will be Dick Whittington.

Season tickets go on sale in August. Telephone 0191-565 7945, or 0191-567 2669, for more information. or visit the website at www.royaltytheatresunderland.co.uk