Introducing... Daniel Bates, new chief executive of York Theatre Royal.

What are your first impressions?

"I went to the last night of the panto on Saturday, and it's an amazing performance. Berwick Kaler gives so much to it, and the loyalty of the audience is extraordinary. I got quite choked when I saw that.

"The pantomime is a great support for the rest of the year here, playing to virtually capacity audiences for 66 performances, meeting and beating its box-office target. It's a very powerful beast and we have to maximise everything we can about the panto, like making sure that people who at present can't afford to come can do so.

"We also have to make sure that the experience of coming to the panto isn't just about what's on stage. The bar, the food, the staff all working together, they're all as important as Berwick."

Will you be working closely with artistic director Damian Cruden, in the manner of your predecessor, Ludo Keston?

"We'll very much be working together and bouncing ideas off each other. I want to ensure we continue to present a broad range of work, from new writing and cutting-edge shows in The Studio to the classics done in a stylish way. I want to be involved as much as I can, making sure there's work for the family and young people through the year, such as Nick Lane's Snow White next month."

The Theatre Royal is awaiting confirmation of a reduced grant from the City of York Council and the Arts Council is projecting stand-still grants too. How will the Theatre Royal cut its cloth accordingly?

"We're looking at how to make the most of the work we do, looking at the possibility of mini-tours of our shows, and we have to look at more collaborations, co-producing shows with other theatres. That takes a lot of negotiation and planning but it's something I want to look into. In the meantime, the city council hasn't yet finalised what it's going to do and we're still in conversation. We're also looking at other potential avenues for commercial and individual support, and we're looking at linking with other funding bodies and organisations."

What changes would you like to make in an ideal world?

"I think there's a really good range of work but I wish there was a way to enhance our productions. We have very short rehearsal times and very short repertory production runs, and though there are a 1,000 reasons for that situation, we should invest more in our productions, and that could be done through co-productions where we share the costs."

Looking to the future, the prospects of the Theatre Royal making use of the De Grey Rooms next door as an arts centre must be tantalising.

"We're up to our gunnels in this building, and the on-going negotiations for the De Grey Rooms are progressing with the York Conservation Trust, and that's a very exciting opportunity.

"I think the theatre will be enhancing its links with other organisations in the city: the city council, the National Centre for Early Music and the York Museums Trust.

"There's more work we can do together, and we need to open our arms to these exciting collaborations."

What made you choose theatre as a career?

"When I was nine I went with the school to see the Molecule Theatre Company at the Mermaid Theatre do a show about magnetism and it was amazing. That was my first inkling that this was something I wanted to do."

York Theatre Royal's pantomime for 2005-2006 will be The Lad Aladdin. Berwick Kaler made the announcement at the final night of Sleeping Beauty last Saturday, when the box-office total passed the 50,000 mark. Tickets go on general sale from April 1 on 01904 623568.

Updated: 15:35 Thursday, February 03, 2005