Countdown to reopening of Perth Theatre

The countdown towards** a new generation of theatre in Perth is underway, with fewer than 75 days to go until the first night of this year’s panto. **

The countdown will be projected onto Perth Theatre’s Mill Street façade and will be visible after dark until the run of Aladdin starts on Saturday 9 December.

The £16.6m transformation of Perth’s historic theatre is nearing completion with the box office, café and bar in the restored and redeveloped venue due to reopen on Monday 13 November.

From that date, in the run up to panto time, there will be a series of opportunities for members of the public to test the restored and redeveloped theatre, peek back stage, explore the building and check out the performance spaces.

Gwilym Gibbons, chief executive of Horsecross Arts, said: “It is incredibly exciting to reach this stage in the transformation process.

“With 75 days to go until our reopening production of Aladdin, we are counting the days until we welcome the people of Perth back into their restored and redeveloped theatre.”

Councillor Ian Campbell, leader of Perth & Kinross Council, said: “It is an exciting time for Perth as so many major projects are progressing at different stages, and they all will provide a major boost to the city.

“With the reopening of the theatre and the first production getting ready for an audience, it’s a welcome step forward.

“Over the next few years we will see a number of positive changes happening across the city centre, and I think it is fitting that the first project to reach completion and kick things off is the renovation of one of Perth’s most iconic buildings.”

The new Perth Theatre season of plays, music and events will be launched on Tuesday 10 October with a month-long priority booking window for season theatre bookers.

Creative director Lu Kemp said: “We are hugely excited to open the doors of Perth Theatre once again to the community it belongs to everyone - old and young - across Perthshire.

“We hope that everyone will find something for them within our programme - and if they can’t come to us we will go to them.”