Thanet council has released early images of how the Theatre Royal in Margate could look after renovations have been carried out.
Cabinet members at the council are due to approve the next steps for the theatre as part of a three phase plan – with the first and main phase being the renovation and opening of the main theatre building.
Phase one includes a new extension with accessible dressing rooms, a lift, a bar, and a stage door, all facing a newly created public piazza.
Auditorium and Front of House upgrades will include improved seating, sightlines, and railings, upgraded bars and toilet facilities, increased stair access, and accessible seating in the stalls.
There will also be rewiring, a new electrical supply, ventilation, heating and hot water system, emergency lighting, fire alarm system, technical stage wiring and equipment.
The project will involve extensive repair of the building’s fabric and general refurbishment throughout the facility.
Central to the design is the creation of a new public piazza by closing the road between the theatre and 19 Hawley Square. This will create a safe, vibrant gathering space for audience members.
Phase one planning and listed building consent will be submitted in February.
Cabinet members, meeting on January 22, will be asked to approve procurement for Phase One construction works and to allocate a further £1m to the scheme.
In March 2021, £2.2m of Margate Town Deal’s £22.2m funding was allocated to the Theatre Royal scheme following the venue’s closure in April 2022 when the lease agreement with operator Your Leisure was ended. Last year a further £2.8m of Margate Town Deal funding from a ditched highways and public realm project was reallocated to the theatre. There is currently £3.4m remaining of that.
Now a further £1m, left from the highways scheme, is also expected to be agreed for reallocation. This would mean the theatre’s overall budget is £6m, with some of that already spent on designs and a masterplan and works to make the building watertight.
Councillors will also approve work to secure an independent operator through a lease, rather than the preferred route of setting up a charitable trust. This follows unsuccessful applications for major external revenue funding. A lease agreement would make the project financially sustainable and more resilient for the long term.
Phase Two will be the renovation and refurbishment of 19 Hawley Square, providing a performing arts centre and artist accommodation. A funding plan is in place, but funds are currently unsecured.
Phase Three will involve further decarbonisation of the theatre operation with renewable energy technology. Funding and partnership discussions are being undertaken, but funds are currently unsecured.
The failure to secure external grant funding means phase two, for 19 Hawley Square to provide a performing arts centre and artist’s accommodation, will be put on hold while extra funding is sought.
The Theatre Royal and 19 Hawley Square Masterplan has been costed at £7.2m across both buildings, and £4.1m for the selected phase one scheme which is to reopen the Theatre.
The aim is to reopen the Theatre Royal in 2027.
Wot, No Hub?