Stratford fest lifts hold on remaining shows

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival has reinstated the balance of performances that organizers put on hold this spring because of slow advance sales.

"We're pleased with the turnaround that we've observed since the spring," festival general director Antoni Cimolino said in a statement on Wednesday.

In mid-April, Stratford put more than 30 performances on hold unprecedented for the populartheatre festival.As the summer progressed, however, the festival saw an upturn in ticket sales and decided to gradually reinstate performances.

Wednesday's decision encompasses the final group of 17, which includes presentations of Julius Caesar, West Side Story, The Importance of Being Earnest and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Summer sales, government funding offered boost

Ticket sales rose 35 per cent in May, June and July, officials said. An infusion of marketing and tourism promotionfunding from the federal and provincial governments also helped boost the box office.

Despite the recession, the flurry of summer activity has meant that revenue is down just five per cent from a year ago.

"We anticipate that this momentum will continue through the balance of the summer and fall," Cimolino said.