A ONCE-AILING entertainment venue in Sevenoaks is now thriving, figures released by the Stag have revealed.

The theatre welcomed more than 25,500 visitors in December 2011, the highest peak in audience attendance since it opened three years ago.

The venue was saved by Sevenoaks Town Council in 2009 after operator Kino Holdings hit financial troubles.

The annual running costs now total around £943,000 and its annual income stands at £967,000.

Stag chief executive Linda Larter said all profits are reinvested into the building, with £30,000 being set aside every year as a reserve.

December proved to be a busy month for volunteers. Visitors were drawn by the professional pantomime Mother Goose, staring Lesley Grantham, a comedy night and a skating rink set up at the venue.

Attendance at the cinema was up from the previous December, with 8,206 visitors compared to 5,286.

Popular films included Puss in Boots, Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows and The Help.

"We are – like any cinema – affected by national and international film advertising campaigns, the opinions of noted film critics and the films released," said Tony McEwen, box office and cinema manager at the Stag.

"Although the level of patronage is something we can't entirely control, we do have a robust marketing strategy in place, which includes local advertising and our own exterior displays."

Meanwhile, theatre attendance also soared from the previous year, with 15,088 using the facility in December 2011, a huge rise on the 12,011 of the previous year.

"We can't keep up with demand for panto tickets," said Jamie Wilson, producer at Magic Beans Productions, which put on Mother Goose.

"In three years, we have seen the audience grow from nothing to 15,000 people."

Some 2,202 visitors used the skating rink set up in the Plaza Suite in December and 10,346 young people took part in programmes run by the Stag in the last quarter of 2011.

"The Stag Community Arts Centre continues to live up to its billing as the heart of the Sevenoaks community," Mrs Larter said.

"Despite limited resources, the Stag takes its charitable goals very seriously.

"Thanks to strong commitment by the board of trustees and a dynamic team of staff and volunteers, there's a real sense of ownership by all users and community pride in the centre."

She added restaurants and taxi firms were also benefiting, making the venue an "important economic driver in Sevenoaks".