Audiences had their first taste of a show in a new purpose-built theatre as it opened this afternoon for its debut performance.

Those attending the matinee of Beauty and the Beast at Orchard West, in Hythe Street, Dartford, got to experience the state-of-the-art building which was constructed in just six weeks and finished yesterday.

And the verdict? “Amazing, but a bit cold.”

The theatre was rapidly built as a replacement for The Orchard, in Home Gardens, which was forced to shut in September following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in its roof.

The Orchard West may resemble a giant marquee – but after watching the panto today, punter Lily Howe from Chatham told KentOnline: “I thought it was really good. I couldn’t tell I was in a tent.”

Also attending was Natasha Hilton, from Greenhithe. who brought along her mum Carole Voina, from Hoo, her sister Suzanne Hot from Doncaster and her children – James, eight, and Nia, four.

She had been “a bit apprehensive” when she heard the plans for the temporary theatre but was pleasantly surprised after watching the first show in the £1.5 million structure.

“I did wonder if the plans would actually happen,” she said. “And what it would be like when it was finished.

“It’s amazing. They have done such a good job to put it up.

“It was very well built and did not feel flimsy or squashed. You would not know you were in a temporary structure.

“They must have really worked hard to pull it out of the bag.”

Others were equally impressed at how “amazing” the inside looked considering the speed at which the building was constructed.

Katy Shaw, from Swanscombe, went along with husband Andy, her children, her aunt Val Cella, from Gravesend, and her mum Brenda Bonner, from Dover.

She said: “It was amazing. It was a lot better than we thought it was going to be.”

However, she had a few criticisms.

“It was a bit cold, and we didn’t realise there were booster seats until halfway through,” she said. “They could have handed them out on the way in.”

Brenda, who is in a wheelchair, felt there needed to be more organisation of where to buy ice creams and where she should sit.

“I got moved three times,” she said. “And no one seemed to know where they should be going to buy the ice creams in the interval.”

But Cody, six, loved the show, telling KentOnline: “I was belly laughing at Silly Billy. I loved it when he slapped his bum.”

Brenda said it wasn’t quite the same as a show at The Orchard but she would definitely go again.

Chloe Chappel, who had come along with her mum Maxine and daughter Mazie, said: “They have done so well to put it up in such a short space of time. But it was a bit cold.”

When she first heard the news in September that The Orchard Theatre would be closing for a year, Chloe said she thought her family would have to forego their panto this year.

“We thought that was it,” she said. “I was sure they would cancel the panto.”

Mel Booth, who came from Crayford with her son Joseph, was impressed they were able to construct the building in such a short space of time.

But she had one complaint.

“The seats were too low for my son,” she said. “He did have a booster seat but he still couldn’t see that well.”

While Yasmine, nine, from Bexleyheath thought it was a bit cold.

“It was a little bit chilly,” she said. “And my mum thought there was not very much leg space.”

Construction on the new building began at the start of November as a replacement for The Orchard after the RAAC discovery.

Speaking at the unveiling of the new theatre yesterday, Caroline Hicks, director of growth and community at Dartford council, said the news The Orchard was being forced to close “left everyone in a bit of a tailspin”. But she said there was no question of not finding an alternative venue to ensure the show could go on.

Ms Hicks said: “The Orchard is really at the heart of the community. It is our main entertainment venue. The local economy feeds off of it.

“It was going to impact such a huge number of businesses and local people and those who come and visit that it was really important for us to keep that cultural life and ensure our community wasn't impacted yet again after Covid.”

She said the six weeks had seen “a lot of blood, sweat and tears” but she had no doubt it would be completed on time.

Theatre director Tal Rosen said: “It’s been an absolutely incredible turnaround, but I always knew we would make it.

“When you work in theatre you make anything happen. You have to ensure the show goes on and make sure it happens on the night.”

Leader of Dartford council, Cllr Jeremy Kite, said: “Losing the theatre, even temporarily, would have had a huge impact on our community and our local businesses, but we knew that the shows must go on.

“Not many councils would have acted as quickly as we did to find an alternative.

"I’m enormously grateful for the herculean effort everyone involved put in to make this possible...”

"Collaboration with our brilliant partners was at the heart of this success.

"Everyone who has been involved in the creation of Orchard West has been determined to see this through and I couldn’t be happier with the result.

"I’m enormously grateful for the herculean effort everyone involved put in to make this possible.

“While we’re busy getting the permanent theatre back up and running, please do visit Orchard West over the coming months, there are some great shows on the way in a unique venue.”

Beauty and the Beast runs until December 31. Tickets are still available to buy from the Orchard West box office.

The Orchard is expected to reopen in late 2024.