ACTOR Orlando Bloom has been named as an honorary patron of the new Marlowe Theatre campaign, a £24million project to extend and re-furbish the present theatre.

The Canterbury-born actor has joined nine other influential founding patrons – including Joanna Lumley – who are backing the fund-raising campaign, which aims to raise £6million of private donations towards the overall cost.

Other patrons are the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Allan Willett, chancellor of Kent University, Prof Sir Robert Worcester, Lady Vallance, Robert Neame, Edwin Boorman, Dave Lee, Lady Swire and Lady Northbourne.

Orlando was educated at St Edmund’s School and retains firm links with the city where his mother, Sonia Bloom, still lives.

The star of blockbuster trilogies The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean made his very first public appearance at the Marlowe Theatre when he was a child.

The ambitious plans for the Marlowe’s redevelopment include a new three-tier 1,200-seat main auditorium, a second producing and performing space and enhanced public spaces.

New members of the campaign board, which will take responsibility for raising the £6 million of private donations, include Sir Michael Bett, James Bird, Andrew Clague, Clive Relf and Nigel Van Der Bijl.

The Marlowe closes in 2009 for the work to begin.