Nottingham’s Theatre Royal will be dark for ten weeks during summer 2017 because of unexpected complications with a £3.3 million refurbishment.
The annual, four-week Classic Thriller Season will have to be moved to a different venue while work on the fire exits closes the Theatre Royal for longer than anticipated.
The Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall, the two “largest arts and entertainment venues in the East Midlands”, secured £1.8 million from the city council and £1.5 million from Arts Council England for a transformation which will increase daytime use of the building.
Managing director Robert Sanderson said, “we’re creating a much bigger restaurant and bringing the roof terraces back into use. They’ve been hopelessly neglected. When you do any work near fire exits you need them to be safe. It’s important to get it right.
“We’re looking to do something with the Thriller Season. It will not die. We’re in discussions with various people in the city to find a way to present the thrillers, possibly in different locations that may surprise people.”
Initially, the management said both venues would remain open during the transformation. The work includes creating new entrances, remodelling the Royal Concert Hall entrance foyer and box office and creating a new rehearsal space.