Curtain-up looming for Wolverhampton Arena Theatre revamp
Work is well under way on a major revamp of the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton and its boss says it will bring it 'back to life' and offer a vastly improved night-out experience.
The venue, which is part of the University of Wolverhampton's city campus, is currently closed to the public with the main reception area, foyer and bar being renovated.
It has been in its current shape since it re-opened in October 1999, following an 18-month-long £2 million refurbishment.
Minor upgrades have been made to the front end of the building since, but manager Neil Reading insists this 'major' upgrade, costing around £50,000,will bring some real changes.
"The theatre has been in its current shape since 1999 and this is the first major upgrade we have made to the front end of the building since then," he said.
"It is giving it a bit of an uplift and bringing it back to life.
"Each year that I have been here we have made upgrades to the theatre for things such as lighting and electrical equipment, which are very important to us but people do not necessarily notice.
"The customer experience is really important to us, we are changing the stock at the bar and are starting to sell local beers and local soft drinks.
"The area is open for an hour before the start of a show so we want it to be a place where people can meet up with friends and family beforehand.
"We want to provide an experience for customers which matches the quality of our shows."
Workes from Mitie moved in on December 19 to paint walls, put in new flooring and replace the existing bar. January 23 has been earmarked as a date for it all to be completed.
The 150-seat theatre room is not being refurbished, but general maintenance checks for lighting and sound equipment are being carried out.
No shows are on at the theatre this month, which Mr Reading insists is the norm at this time of the year, and is not due to the refurbishment of the front end of the building.
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"We normally go dark in January for maintenance, we planned the work to fit into a time where it would not disrupt our show schedule," he said.
"We have had a new bar, the old one has been ripped out and replaced.
"The walls have been painted and there is new flooring throughout the front area of the building, it is all cosmetic upgrades to the areas which people who come to the theatre will see the most."
Also in the city centre, the Grand Theatre has recently been given the nod for an £800,000 redevelopment.
The City of Wolverhampton Council will spend £400,000 on the project, with theatre bosses looking to match the amount in order to fund an entirely new front-of-house area at the Lichfield Street venue.
Similar to the Arena Theatre, it will feature a revamped stalls bar and foyer. There will also be a new Encore Lounge providing more seating and a small stage created for extra performances such as comedy and live music.
Bosses at the Grand Theatre will receive the money from the council once they have shown they can match the amount.
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Work is set to start on the project this summer, with a grand opening pencilled in for autumn.
The Arena Theatre's 2016 season begins on Wednesday, February 3, with Rinkoo Barpaga in a performance that will test whether 'deaf comedy can be funny in a hearing world'.
Barpaga, who was born deaf and is a British sign language user, will lead the audience through the trials and tribulations of what it was like to grow up in Birmingham in the 1970s.
The venue will reopen for walk-in bookings tomorrow. Bookings can also be made by calling 01902 321321.
