New £17m theatre opens in Fareham

A £17 million theatre delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic is set to open in Hampshire this weekend.

Fareham Live, run by Trafalgar Theatres, features an 800-seat auditorium and is equipped with cutting-edge stage and backstage areas.

It opens on Saturday with The Prat Pack, starring Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley, Shane Richie and Joe Pasquale.

Conservative councillor for Titchfield, Connie Hockley, said she was "beyond excited" and "it felt like a dream".

Ms Hockley said: “I never thought this day would come. We got through Covid and it’s here. It’s perfect and my colleagues and Trafalgar are over the moon with it.

"It's such a treat to be enjoying this wonderful community asset and I hope the community will really embrace it."

The venue also has a 120 seat studio and second studio space, plus two cafe bars, one with a terrace.

More than 30,000 tickets have already been sold for upcoming shows, including Blood Brothers, Legends of Dance starring Brennan Cole and this year's pantomime Cinderella starring brothers AJ and Curtis Pritchard.

A week-long run of musical The Rocky Horror Show, starring Jason Donovan as Dr Frank n Furter starts on Monday.

Fareham Live has replaced Ferneham Hall, which the council said was old, too small to attract big shows and was losing up to £400,000 a year.

Fareham Borough Council said the new theatre, which is equipped with 18 solar panels and four air source heat pumps, is key to its regeneration vision.

Sir Howard Panter, joint chief executive of Trafalgar Theatres, said it is a "very rare world-class building and it is now the greenest theatre in England".

He said: "Theatres are one of the few places apart from church and football where all generations can gather, especially at Pantomime time, where grandparents and grandchildren come together."

Chris McGuigan, group commercial director, said he hoped people would come and experience "everything on offer and embrace it".

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