BRIDGNORTH’S Theatre on the Steps is undergoing a major £100,000 revamp before reopening in September.
The work, which is being part-funded by Shropshire Council includes the replacement of the stage, stage lighting and sound systems, and a long-overdue new gents toilets.
The majority of the work is being carried out by specialist contractors combined with help from members and local business, A. V. Birch, of Muckley Cross, who have manufactured and are installing the steel work, needed to support the new fly gallery from A S G Stage systems.
The new sound and lighting system are being installed by D & B Entech of Stoke.
Iain Reddihough, artistic director at the theatre, said “ This refurbishment project is the latest in a long line of improvements at the theatre carried out since 2000, all of which have considerably improved the facilities for our audiences.
“This project will mean that we have more opportunities to improve the technical side of our productions and to stage some shows that we have not been able to do due to the limitations of our stage and equipment.
“We are very excited by the project and the new opportunities that we will have following completion of the work.”
“The work is scheduled to be completed by mid-August with the first show being staged on September 3. A very full autumn season is programmed with tickets for most shows already on sale, and for some shows tickets are already selling well.
There are only a few tickets left for Gordon Hendrick’s Elvis show in December and tickets for the ever-popular Ghost Walk in October are going well.
“Already several groups have made provisional reservations for the return of the theatre’s sell-out production of the stage version of the popular TV series ‘Allo ‘Allo which runs in November,” Iain said.
“We are very pleased with our new programme and the way forward tickets sales are going which should mean that, that once again, we will have many sell out shows this coming autumn.”