Cash boost for revamp of theatre

The new Marlowe Theatre will be "world-class", its architect says

A campaign to raise funds to redevelop the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury has received a significant donation.

A company in the nearby Kent town of Herne Bay has given £250,000 to the project's fundraising campaign.

Part of the theatre will be demolished and replaced with a state-of-the-art facility, with 200 additional seats and a new auditorium.

The theatre has been housed in a 1920s cinema in The Friars since 1984, but only its shell will remain.

The donation to the project has come from Crown Products, a company that has been in the area for nearly 50 years.

'World-class' building

Managing director Michael Head said the project would benefit the whole community for generations to come.

"This really is a time for those who care about the future of Canterbury to dig deep and do their very best to support this fantastic project."

The plans for the new Marlowe Theatre will see it enlarged and adapted to incorporate an extended and modernised main auditorium, a second "performing and creative" space, and improved audience and educational facilities.

The architect, Keith Williams, has promised a "world-class" building that will improve the skyline of the cathedral city.