A "much-loved" historic theatre which is deemed to be at risk has been offered a lifeline in the fight to see it repaired.

The Theatre Royal Margate's renovation project has been injected with £10,000 of funding and the search is now on to find an operator for the listed building.

Steeped in history, the venue is the UK's second oldest working theatre.

It was originally designed and built in 1787 and is Grade II-listed but has fallen into decline in recent years and new funding from the Theatres Trust is aiming to help boost the project to save it.

Bookings paused at the Theatre Royal Margate in April 2022, when the rolling lease with the operator - Your Leisure - was brought to an end.

It has remained vacant and closed since and is now in urgent need of roof repairs to ensure the building is watertight.

As part of this renovation project, Thanet District Council (TDC), which owns the property, is working with an advisory stakeholder group and will be looking for an operator and project partner, as well as making a funding submission to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for additional grants.

The funding will be used to put together reports highlighting Theatre Royal's cultural and historical significance and its viability as a business.

It award follows an allocation of £2 million in April 2022 for renovations at the theatre which came from the Margate Town Deal.

The Town Deal funding for the entertainment venue will cover the extensive repairs that have been identified as essential to secure the existing building.

Louise Askew, head of regeneration and growth at TDC, said: "The Theatre Royal Margate is a well-loved local venue, with an important role to play in Thanet’s night-time economy and in the provision of arts in the district.

"We are grateful for this additional funding from Theatres Trust - understanding the Royal’s history and current day viability is critical.

"This funding will inform not only the conservation and modernisation of the development but also support the vision and sustainability of the business case."

Jon Morgan, director at Theatres Trust, added: "We believe every theatre on our ‘Theatres at Risk’ list has the potential to be returned for use by their communities, providing performance venues of types currently lacking in their local areas and bringing much needed footfall to town centres.

"Theatres Trust is delighted to support the Theatre Royal Margate with this project that will help it move a step closer to its ultimate goal."

Another Thanet performance venue has also been brought back to life recently.

The Granville in Ramsgate was opened in the 1940s and fell into a state of disrepair but is now set to open next month.