Tewkesbury’s Roses Theatre in the south west of England is set to stage a programme of outdoor work while the venue closes its doors over the summer in order to undertake an £800,000 renovation. Likening it to the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in the heart of the capital, weather permitting the work could see new audiences and new views on the Gloucestershire theatre.
The venue will continue to run two-thirds of its programme, including live music and film screenings, at the council-run Watson Hall while the theatre is shut for refurbishment from 2 July to 23 September, retaining its audiences for its shows and providing a solution to its renovation work which will take over the whole theatre. Although the venue did not programme any theatre over the summer in anticipation of the closure, it will stage three outdoor shows for the first time, in the nearby Victoria Pleasure Gardens.
Sustaining existing audiences and gaining new audiences is important to the theatre, part of the reason behind its revamp. As part of the renovation, the building will be extended to include a new double-storey foyer, in addition to roof repairs, improved disabled access and a refurbished coffee bar that will be able to serve food. The building’s exterior will also be given a facelift, to make the theatre a more welcoming space.
Once the funds for the project have been raised and the work has been completed, the theatre is sure to have a renewed sense of life and future inquisitive audiences, trying theatre for the first time at the venue. Ahead of this time, the theatre looks set to have a fulfilling summer ahead in staging some of its work outside – here’s hoping for an Indian summer in the UK!