Based in Canterbury, the Marlow Theatre has finally received the face lift it deserves, totally a £25.6million refurbishment.
Plans to tear down the old theatre have been on the council’s agenda for many years, making the refurbishment of the Marlow long awaited.
In 2009, when the council voted for the refurbishment project to go ahead they also purchased the car showroom next door so they could spill out into this extra space. Not only this, but the old building was planned to be flattened completely.
Theatre Director Mark Everett commented, “The old building was falling to pieces around us, and up to the last minute it was by no means certain which way the vote would go. We’d have made the old building work somehow – the one thing all theatres have is unlimited supplies of gaffer tape and black emulsion. But this is a dream come true.”
The theatre was opened by Prince Edward on October 4th and the year’s programme has since been announced. Shows scheduled to be performed in the new theatre include The Nutcracker, Peppa Pig, Henry V and the Winter’s Tale, Grease the musical, and other big hit shows. It is expected to be very popular over the Christmas season as many people want to experience the new theatre building first hand.
The refurbishment includes new stage lighting systems, a state of the art theatre sound system and a general face lift to include new seats, a new stage, and new theatre curtains and stage curtains.
The project was expected to be finished earlier than it actually was. The organiser said that they intended to invite people to come and have a look around the new Marlow Theatre two weeks before shows started, but they simply ran out of time and were still drilling and hammering right up to the wire.
The theatre is said to look modern, amongst the medieval buildings across the street. The theatre can be viewed and fills an entire window from the cathedral.
Photos courtesy of Tim Stubbings