Work has started on converting the upper floor of the old Majestic Cinema in Darlington into a 250-seat theatre.
The 1930s Art Deco cinema in Bondgate was brought back into use in September last year with the opening of Magic and Mayhem Soft Play, said to be the largest soft play area in the region, and, this weekend, it began mounting live music performances. The building has undergone extensive renovation since January 2014.
Now the development focus moves to the upper floor which will feature a small theatre and new bars.
The aim is not to compete with the 901-seater Darlington Civic Theatre, which is about a ten-minute walk away, but to replace, in part, the Darlington Arts Centre which closed in 2012 as part of a programme of cuts by Darlington Borough Council.
Every attempt is being made to retain or restore the architectural features of the building, such as 1930s stained glass windows, and application for financial support has been made to the Arts Council.