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Behind the scenes at the
Marlowe Theatre

by Adam Williams

awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk

Here is a sneak preview inside the new Marlowe
Theatre.

Curtain up is less than three months away and theatre
director Mark Everett has taken us on a tour of the
inside for the first time since work began.

Almost all of the three-tiered auditorium’s new Italian leather
seats have been fitted, with contractors busy putting the final
touches to the interior including the stage, entrance foyer and
bars.

Once complete, the auditorium will seat 1,200 people, with seats
closer to the stage than before, offering clearer views of
performances.

Project manager Kate Greenaway has overseen the work by
contractors ISG Jackson since the first sod was turned in summer
2009.

She said: “It’s been a great challenge but also immensely
satisfying to see it come from the first piles of rubble to what we
have now.

“I’ve not worked on something as big as this before, but I had
been working at SEEDA beforehand so knew all about the project from
its inception, including its original designs.”

Bosses also
showed off the new second space studio which will be used for
rehearsals and community theatre events. It will have the capacity
for up to 300 people using retractable seating.

Mark Everett admits excitement is growing by the day.

He said: “It gets better all the time and obviously as the
theatre nears completion and the dust and mess clears, we’re all
getting a great idea of the size and space.

“The sense of grandeur in this wonderful new auditorium is
coupled with a feeling of intimacy. Everything’s so much closer to
the stage than the old theatre could ever be. It’s a great sense of
shared experience and that’s what live theatre is all
about.”

A series of 'soft’ performances, not open to the public, begin
at the end of September to test out the venue’s system and to train
staff. A gala evening on Tuesday, October 4 marks the first
official performance.

The first week-long production comes from Canadian-based Cirque
Eloize from Wednesday, October 12.