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Royal Theatre in Northampton reopens after Raac found

Royal and Derngate Theatre Front facade of Royal Theatre and side elevation of DerngateRoyal and Derngate Theatre
As part of the reopening audiences will be directed to use different entrances, including the fire exits

A theatre has reopened six weeks after it closed when reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was discovered.

The Royal and Derngate in Northampton postponed all of its September performances and events.

The venue consists of two theatres, the Derngate auditorium, with a capacity of 1,500, and the Royal theatre which can hold 450.

Performances resumed on Monday at the Royal, while the Derngate auditorium is due to reopen on 24 October.

The Royal dates back to the 1800s but Derngate was built in 1983 when Raac was widely used.

Jo Gordon
Chief executive Jo Gordon said they had postponed more than 30 shows

Chief executive Jo Gordon said they had moved more than 30 shows and 60 film screenings.

She said: "That's always challenging because some people can't make the new dates so we end up refunding."

"Being closed for any period obviously has big impact on yearly budgets," she added.

Susie Blake
Actor Susie Blake said she was excited to perform in the reopened theatre

The Royal reopens with performances of Murder in the Dark, starring actor Susie Blake.

She said: "It's always exciting to be the first people into a theatre when it's been shut for renovations, because the audience are excited about seeing what's different - and they'll all coming in a different way so that'll be interesting."

She said the Royal and Derngate was somewhere close to her heart.

"There are certain theatres you always look forward to going to - there's a kind of community feeling," she added.

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