One of Medway’s much-loved theatres is in the midst of a £415,000 restoration project.

The Brook Theatre in Chatham is undergoing an external facelift, including essential repairs, cleaning of the stonework and roof, and improvements to the external lighting. The three clock faces will also be repaired, cleaned and re-lit.

The theatre is surrounded by scaffolding and white wrap, but is still open for business as usual.

The works are expected to be completed early next year in time for the theatre’s 20th birthday.

Council bosses said vast investment was being made to ensure the theatre, which opened in 1997 and was previously Chatham Town Hall and then Medway Arts Centre, was around to offer quality entertainment for many years.

Cllr Adrian Gulvin, Medway Council’s portfolio holder in charge of council property, said: “These works are essential to keep the building in good condition and fit for purpose.

"We know lots of people, both locally and from further afield, enjoy coming to watch shows at the Brook Theatre and so it’s important that we keep one of Medway’s entertainment gems in good shape.”

Cllr Howard Doe, in charge of community services, said: “It is a measure of the council’s commitment to the arts, that such significant investment is being made and we look forward to seeing the work completed.”

The Victorian building, the work of George E Bond who also designed Chatham’s Theatre Royal, opened in January 1900.

It is now home to professional theatre, community productions, jazz and folk evenings, a children’s Christmas show and Medway Comedy Club, while the regular Studio Showcase evenings offer a more intimate theatre experience.

It has a 400-seat auditorium as well as a 60-seat studio in the old council chamber. Original features inside include marble mosaic floors, oak doors and the grand staircase constructed from white Sicilian marble.