The finishing touches are being put to new-look Perth Theatre before its long-awaited relaunch.
Work on the city centre venue’s £16.6 million makeover is coming to an end, as managers start the countdown to its first performance.
The Courier has been given a sneak peek inside the transformed building, as construction crews piece together the new Mill Street entrance.
The overhaul includes a full restoration of the B-listed Edwardian auditorium, as well as a new 200-seat studio theatre.
With 75 days to go before pantomime Aladdin, a countdown clock is being projected on to the side of the building. It will be visible after dark until the curtain rises on December 9.
The new box office, cafe and bar will reopen a few weeks earlier, on Monday, November 13. In the run-up to panto time, members of the public will get the chance to tour the new facilities and go backstage.
Refurbished seating has now been fitted inside the main auditorium, while the original decorative interior – with walls predominantly red and mouldings accented in cream and gold – has been replicated.
Horsecross Arts chief executive Gwilym Gibbons said: “It is incredibly exciting to reach this stage in the transformation process.
“With 75 days to go until our reopening production of Aladdin, we are counting the days until we welcome the people of Perth back into their restored and redeveloped theatre.”
Perth and Kinross Council leader Ian Campbell added: “It is an exciting time for Perth as so many major projects are progressing at different stages, and they all will provide a major boost to the city.
“With the reopening of the theatre and the first production getting ready for an audience, it is a welcome step forward.”
Mr Campbell said: “Over the next few years we will see a number of positive changes happening across the city centre, and I think it is fitting that the first project to reach completion and kick things off is the renovation of one of Perth’s most iconic buildings.”
The project is being delivered by hub East Central Scotland, a public-private partnership. Chief Executive Gary Bushnell said the theatre was nearly ready to “take its place as one of the city’s most unique culture venues”.
Kevin Dickson, managing director of Robertson Tayside which has been carrying out construction work on site since March, last year, said: “Being so closely involved with the transformation of Perth Theatre has been an absolute privilege for everyone at Robertson.
“It’s exciting to know that the theatre will reopen in just a couple of months and I am sure that once they step inside, the public will agree that all the hard work has been more than worth it.”
Fundingraising continues to reach the final £16.6m total, with money already pledged from the local authority, Creative Scotland, the Gannochy Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund, amongst others.
