IT might be show 'business', but it was sheer love of producing theatre which saw Colin Matthews through his first year at the helm of the Babbacombe Theatre.

The venue has hosted a plethora of entertainment over its 70-year history before becoming the home to variety it is today.

But when Colin took the plunge and signed the lease 23 years ago, it wasn't exactly straightforward.

"The first year we had some really good audiences, but financially it was a disaster," he said.

"Dana was doing really good business earlier in the 1980s, and I thought it would be a good thing to bring her back to Torbay. But it didn't do too well.

"So I tried plays for a couple of years. I had Paul Shane and some of the Hi-de-Hi girls. Then I had Bernie Winters and Snorbitz. That was so-so.

"The show was really good but I found a lot people actually didn't like him.

"That's when I realised you didn't have to have a 'name' to get an audience in and, in fact, sometimes it goes against you and keeps people away."

Originally stars performed al fresco at Babbacombe Downs before a bandstand was created in 1920.

That was followed by a larger structure in 1935.

Then in 1938 the Babbacombe Downs Concert Hall was built and completed the following year.

Over the last 70 years it has been a hotbed for talent, the most famous of whom is probably Bruce Forsyth.

Aged just 12 years old Colin was taken to the venue to see Bruce entertain. Little did he know the venue would become so central to his life.

"My grandad said he wanted to take me to see a man who was going to be 'a really big star'. It was just before Bruce had broken through," he said.

"I even remember one of the routines where he was pretending to be a different type of golfer.

"Funnily enough when they did a documentary recently they had a clip of that.

"That appearance perhaps started the ball rolling.

"My parents used to get complementary tickets to see the show so I got to go to the theatre quite a lot.

"I tried a bit of professional acting myself.

"I did a season at the Palace Theatre, did a few musicals and took the lead role in Gigi, but I soon realised I wasn't very good. That and I enjoyed telling people what to do rather being told what to do.

"That developed into the club cabarets we used to have in the pubs and clubs.

"For me, the next step logically was Babbacombe."

From 1947 Toads used to present a programme of plays through the winter season.

Colin took over at Babbacombe during a difficult time when the country was struggling.

"It was a period where the business I was involved in, nightclubs and pubs, was really suffering from recession," he said.

"I took over in 1986. Our leisure businesses folded and I was able to take over at Babbacombe and continue what I wanted to do.

"My interest was very much in the theatre world, I had moved on from club days where I used to put on cabaret and live entertainment in the pubs and clubs."

After learning quickly about the likes of Dana, Colin moved towards West End performers and also some straight plays.

"Then I did No Sex Please We're British which was the first time that the play had been performed outside the West End. That did quite well, but I decided then that I had to change. Television more and more was stopping people going to see plays.

"For five years I brought West End stars down. That was really successful because no one was doing it at the time.

"But it's been variety and comedy from then onwards.

"Once I realised all the money was going out the stage door on those 'names' and not back into the company, I realised if you provide a high-quality product then people will come and see it.

"Since then I've looked for talented and versatile performers."

What Colin and the Babbacombe Theatre have been able to do is provide a platform to budding talent to shine.

Dylan Turner went on to star in Mama Mia in the West End as well as the subsequent movie as well as Grease, Chicago, and High School the Musical.

Lauren Cuthbertson went on to the Royal Ballet, Jethro Marles to Mary Poppins and Mama Mia, Emrhys Cooper to We Will Rock You and Alex Jay to My Fair Lady and Cats before returning to her South Devon roots.

"I certainly hope that we've given people a platform," he said.

"You can't give people talent but what you can do is give them experience of performing in front of a live audience.

"I started bringing children into the theatre in the early 1990s in an Oliver section and it's been almost compulsory since then.

"So many have been really talented and have gone on to have professional careers.

"I would never recommend that's what they should do as it's such a tough business.

"It's been good for so many of them and, even if they don't go on to do it professionally, it's usually been a good experience for them."

Colin managed to make the venue a profitable one as well as providing a platform for both young talent and keeping professional entertainers in work.

And, unlike nearly every other theatre in the country, he's done it without being subsidised.

"It's something that I'm extremely proud of," he said.

"It's almost impossible these days to run a theatre without a subsidy. When I look at other theatres, they couldn't survive without it.

"I have to make sure our shows are profitable.

"As far as my own shows are concerned, I can offer artists work two or three nights a week for most of the year, in return they will come for less money than they would if they appeared in cabaret.

"There are so few opportunities for people to perform in the professional theatre these days.

"I don't find it too difficult to get good acts. They know that I don't pay a lot but they also know that they'll get 100 dates in their book right away and be working in a really good environment.

"I keep the costs down. Our marketing is so important. You can't just expect people to walk through the doors any more."

And so far the venue is holding up well, with Colin seeing it through another recession and a constantly changing holiday market.

"Until this year and last year there had been a plateau," he said.

"We were slightly down last year and the year before. And we are holding pretty much at par with that this year.

"People are still going away on holiday but they are being careful what they spend their money on.

"My main problem with our audience is that interest rates are at pretty much zero and they are not getting any interest on their savings. If this were to carry on for more than a year or two then I think it could be a problem. But I'm the eternal optimist and think that another 12 months of this and things should pick up again.

"Providing we continue to provide the quality of entertainment that we do, and people still come down here in their numbers, then I think we'll be ok."

The theatre has always relied on tourism for the bulk of its audience to its summer and winter seasonal shows.

Colin and his team have been chipping away at that, making sure people know there is quality entertainment on their doorstep.

"We still get people who come and say they've never been to the theatre, but lived here all their lives.

"We strive all the time to encourage locals in.

"Our weekend shows are of course aimed more at the locals and we've got some big names coming again this year. It shows that they want to come to this sort of theatre with the sort of atmosphere.

"My main show is still not easy. Without that name people don't automatically know that it really is worth coming to see."

Even though the world of entertainment has changed since Colin first took over 23 years ago, he has faith in Babbacombe's future and has just signed a new 21-year lease.

It's been a life's work and, if the show business gene is going to be passed down, it's probably not going to go to his older children.

"My elder children have never shown a great deal of interest," he said.

"My son works in property management in South Devon. My middle daughter is in the Midlands and my youngest son is in Australia.

"My youngest daughter Eve really loves the theatre. She plays the saxophone, violin, drums and piano. She has a real interest in performing in the theatre and whether that will develop into something I don't know as she's only 10."

He added: "My second marriage was to Maggie the year I took over the theatre.

"She has supported me through the early lean years and has been a great support ever since. She's got a background in entertainment as well.

"She loves getting Eve involved in the theatre.

"Perhaps it might be one of the grandchildren who gets involved, I shall need some help soon."

He added: "I didn't see myself in this business but when I found myself here I knew it would be a really important part in my life. It still is and I enjoy it immensely.

"I've just got a new 21-year lease from the council so I'm not going anywhere soon."