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Video: See the Marlowe
Theatre Arena taking shape.

by Adam Williams

A new landmark dominates the
Canterbury skyline, in the shape of the Marlowe Theatre Arena.

On Monday morning, a team of
engineers began the marathon build of the tented structure, which
will be located on the former Kingsmead coach park until the new
year.

The main event, this year’s
pantomime Peter Pan, starring comedian Ade Edmondson as Captain
Hook, begins on Saturday, December 5.

It will take 14 days to fully
assemble the arena and site manager Dan Wilson believes it will
more than make up for the theatre’s absence.

He said: “It’s in an ideal
location, easily accessible to the city centre and not too far away
from the old Marlowe Theatre. Lots of planning has gone into
erecting the tent and there are several sub-contractors who will be
involved along the way. We had a few problems drilling into the
concrete on the first day to get the main support structures up,
but everything is on track.”

The approach road and paths to the
arena will be transformed to look like Neverland. Pantomime writer,
producer and director Paul Hendy was awestruck as he took his first
look at the arena.

He said: “As you drive up from
Sainsbury’s it just dominates the skyline. It’s very exciting to
see it being put up and it’s much bigger than I thought it would
be.

“It’s been really tricky
logistically having a panto in a big tent this year, but we work
with a very experienced team and the Marlowe panto has built up a
reputation as being one of the best in the country, so I’m sure
this will be the most spectacular pantomime Canterbury has ever
seen.”