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Outline of the Modernisation Project
On January 31st 2008, Norwich Theatre Royal celebrated its 250th birthday as a continually operating theatre on Theatre Street. It has, since 1758, played a unique role in Norfolk and beyond, not only by providing an impressive range of quality entertainment, but now with lowest prices unmatched elsewhere in the UK and also through our education and outreach work and contribution to the local economy.
But we had been living on borrowed time.
The previous building, the third Theatre Royal on the site, opened in 1935 but could not provide the accessibility or facilities required by 21st century audiences and our ever-expanding education and outreach work. We therefore spent many years planning a comprehensive modernisation programme. The key to the project was the securing of the ground and first floors of neighbouring Dencora House for use by the Theatre Royal. This provided the means of expanding the public areas, providing proper access and comfort, increasing the capacity of the Theatre Royal to earn its own living, and reducing the public emphasis on the front of house spaces away from the left hand side of the building to wrap the foyers equally around the auditorium.
By the end of 2006, when the 250 Appeal was first launched, we had, thanks to our own prudence, generous public sector contributions and many gifts from our audiences, Friends, local businesses and Charitable Trusts, already secured £7 million of the £10 million required.
As planned, the Appeal will run until December 2010, when we anticipate we will be able to announce its successful conclusion. We'd particularly like to thank those supporters still contributing to the Appeal, and hope they will continue to do so until the end of 2010.