Theatre revamp gets green light

The Marlowe Theatre will have two performance spaces

Plans to build a £24m theatre in Kent have been given the green light.

At a meeting on Monday night, Canterbury City councillors voted unanimously in favour of the new 1,200-seat Marlowe Theatre.

The refurbishment includes a new, three-tier auditorium that will provide a better view and acoustics, allowing for bigger shows to be staged.

There will also be a second, smaller, more flexible performance space to provide education and training.

The scheduled opening for the revamped Marlowe Theatre, which is housed in a 1920s cinema building in Canterbury, is December 2010.

It is hoped the new Marlowe Theatre will become a centre of excellence for performing arts within the region.

Last month it was announced that Prince Edward had become its royal patron.

The Earl of Wessex will be fully involved in the project until the venue opens, the council said.