Kenneth Branagh: Due to star in Sheffield

And audiences are getting younger, according to a report in the Guardian.

The rise in popularity is in contrast to the fortunes of theatres in London, where productions are struggling to recover from the post-11 September dip and a number have closed.

Despite being on the brink of collapse three years ago, the regional theatre circuit is now attracting big name actors and putting on spectacular productions thanks to promises of more funding.

The Birmingham Rep has enjoyed the most dramatic rise in audience numbers of any theatre, with winter attendances up 92% on the same period 12 months ago.

Funding

Last year, a report commissioned by the Arts Council said most of the country's best regional theatres were technically insolvent after 20 years of chronic underfunding.

In response, the Arts Council pledged to increase funding from �40m in 2000 to �70m in 2003/4, meaning grants would rise by more than 30% for many companies.

Patrick Stewart has been appearing at the West Yorkshire Playhouse

Some are even due to enjoy a budget increase of up to five times their previous amounts.

The first �13m of the Arts Council's money is being paid next month, with a further �25m for each of the following years.

That encouragement has sparked the renaissance, some theatre directors say.

Others said the public was turning to theatre as a reaction to "terrible" TV and poor cinema.

'New generation'

Arts Council chairman Gerry Robinson could now be vindicated, after saying last year the regional theatre scene just needed to be stimulated to be brought back to life.

"There is a fresh spirit of creativity and a real sense of a new generation of talented people ready to emerge," he said.

"This is a bold, imaginative and fair allocation of the funds.

"The new investment will give creative people in theatre greater artistic freedom and it will also make a huge difference to the many thousands of people who enjoy the experience of live theatre.

"It is now up to those working in theatre to deliver."