Chichester Festival Theatre celebrated the completion of a highly ambitious, 21-month, £22 million redevelopment project this week, with the official reopening of its much-loved Grade 2* listed building.
Executive Director Alan Finch said, "The reopening of our theatre just 21 months after its demolition began is the culmination of an experience that has been exciting, memorable and at times extremely challenging. It's an incredible achievement to have reopened the building on time, having met our fundraising target.
"Our goal was to safeguard this building for the next generation and we're thrilled to have achieved this."
Artistic Director Jonathan Church said, "What's always been unusual about this theatre is that it was built by the vision of one local man, Leslie Evershed-Martin, supported by hundreds if not thousands of people, all putting their hands in their pockets. The RENEW project feels that ii's recaptured that moment when the Theatre was first built.
"It's going to be tremendously exciting to open the Theatre with Peter Shaffer's Amadeus nearly 50 years after the premières of The Royal Hunt of the Sun and Black Comedy, and particularly special for Peter to be with us to celebrate."
The refurbishment has involved a careful marriage of old and new. It has conserved the architecturally significant features of the original modernist 'concrete tent' while carrying out essential repairs, major enhancements and a new extension to house the new backstage facilities.
The RENEW redevelopment project was launched in 2012 during the Festival Theatre's 50th anniversary year, in recognition that the building was operating on a scale way beyond what was envisaged when it first opened in 1962.