Audiences at the Hall for Cornwall have risen over the last five years

It is a major advance for the Hall for Cornwall in Truro, which was almost forced to close during some troubled years following its launch in 1997.

Despite a substantial increase in the number of people visiting the theatre, it still relies on grants totalling a �250,000 a year to break even.

Now local thespians are hoping to attract bigger shows to the Hall.

Local actor Mark Buffery, from St Merryn, near Padstow, said: "We get the Royal Shakespeare Company and the big musicals coming but the ideal would be to have a big musical like say Oliver with a local based professional company."

I think we've got to keep trying to get the best shows we can to come down to Cornwall Tim Brinkman, director

Over the last five years, audiences have risen by 40% and it has managed to attract bands of the quality of Coldplay.

Director Tim Brinkman said: "You can't look over your shoulder - we've got to keep looking forward. I think we've got to keep trying to get the best shows we can to come down to Cornwall and that means making the theatre really attractive to them.

"We've got to keep the Hall for Cornwall's standard up. We've got to look after the building and look after the facilities and that's the real challenge."

He admits the Hall faces stiff competition for productions and audiences from Plymouth's Theatre Royal.