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Peterborough's Cresset theatre's seats being replaced in £5m refurb

Chris Brudenell The cast of Robin Hood at The Cresset Theatre in PeterboroughChris Brudenell
As well as work with youngsters, The Cresset stages an annual professional pantomime such as 2018's Robin Hood

All of the seats in a city theatre are being replaced as part of a £5m refurbishment.

The Cresset in Peterborough has been entertaining audiences for the past 45 years and work is under way to "upgrade it to modern standards".

The theatre is shut for a month for to allow all of its 876 seats to be replaced.

Management said the seats had reached the "end of their natural life" and the new ones would "revitalise the space".

The Cresset, in the Bretton area of the city, is owned by the YMCA Trinity Group which has been awarded £5.1m to develop the work it does with young people.

The money has come from the government-funded Youth Investment Fund for capital spending.

It means the theatre will undergo a major refurbishment including replacing the roof and drainage systems, installing a new lighting rig and sustainable theatre lighting, and facilities to help performers with access needs.

The Cressset Old seating being taken apartThe Cressset
"It's about future proofing the building" - it is out with the old before the new seating comes in

The Cresset's head of commercial activities Penny Hansen said the changes would help them to fulfil their commitment to young people.

"This is all about safeguarding the building's future. We need a safe space and this is about upgrading it to modern standards," she said.

"We offer incredible opportunities for young people and it is very much about doing more of that."

She says installing the new seating, which will cost £300,000 alone, is a major change.

"It's amazing. When they took the seating out I realised I hadn't seen the back wall since the 1990s," she said.

"The seats had reached the end of their natural life and now things have moved on. It will be much more comfortable and will revitalise that space."

The Cresset works with up to 2,000 young people each year through its performing arts programmes and said it was aiming to do more to offer more opportunities to young people across the city.

The venue is due to reopen on 2 February.

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