A £7.5 million refurbishment project has been completed on Southampton's historic Mayflower Theatre.

The 90-year-old theatre has opened its doors for the first time since June when the project began.

The venue has been completely repainted with a new red and gold colour scheme. All of the seats in the stall and circle have been removed and replaced with 1,659 brand-new, wider seats while the seats in the balcony have been reupholstered. The theatre has gained an extra seat, taking its total seat capacity to 2,274.

New environmentally-friendly LED lighting has been installed, the orchestra pit has been moved beneath the stage and accessibility has been improved, with better facilities for people with disabilities.

Michael Ockwell, chief executive of Mayflower Theatre, said: "This is without doubt the most significant refurbishment project that the theatre has seen in the last three decades and we were thrilled to lift the curtains on the new look tonight. For us, this project is very much about ensuring Mayflower Theatre remains best in class not just for now, but long into the future."

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Southampton Cultural Development Trust Chairman Brad Roynon commented: "Mayflower Theatre doesn't just bring in huge shows and hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city every year. It also plays an important part in connecting new audiences with theatre and inspiring young people to get involved in the arts. It's therefore absolutely vital that we preserve this historic and culturally important venue to ensure it remains, and develops further, as a catalyst for the growth of arts and culture."

Cabinet Member for Homes and Culture at Southampton City Council, Councillor Satvir Kaur added: "It's fantastic to see the Mayflower theatre opening its doors again. This iconic building is an integral part of the extensive entertainment offering that can be found in Southampton. The theatre is one of the biggest outside of London and attracts people from a huge area. This essential refurbishment ensures that the venue itself lives up to the reputation that it has."

Mayflower Theatre is the biggest regional theatre outside of London. The venue opened on 22 December, 1928 as the Empire Theatre, becoming The Gaumont in 1950 and eventually Mayflower Theatre in 1987. It remains the largest theatre in the south of England and employs 230 staff.

The first official performance will be Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, which runs from 28-29 September.

(CM/MH)