The Auditorium

This is fully restored to its former glory. A new floor was relaid as the old one was found to be decaying and the seating has been altered to improve sight lines and comfort. Each seat has been slightly widened and space between rows increased.

A control console at the rear of the stalls containing computerised sound and lighting equipment has meant the loss of some seats, but enables technicians to have full oversight of the audiovisual features of performances. The front section of stalls is arranged in continental style (with no aisles) which gives more seats at the front of the theatre. This seating can be removed to make space for wheelchairs, to enable tables to be set up and used for conference sessions, or the blonde wooden floor to be used for dancing. There is now a total of 1393 seats in the theatre, compared with almost 1600 originally.

Much of the plasterwork had to be remoulded as leaks from the roof had proved destructive. An excellent job was done and it is impossible to detect where fresh plaster has been applied. The walls have been recoated with a beer wash and designs cleaned and retouched where necessary. So the requirement to preserve this heritage space has been adhered to. It looks just as it did in 1930.

A new hydraulic fore-stage lift has been installed to enable the stage to be extended out into the auditorium, or for the orchestra pit to be positioned at various levels.