Improvements being made at Lighthouse Poole during summer closure
The venue's preparing for a busy autumn season
Lighthouse Poole has closed its doors to the public until the end of August, with a host of improvements being made on site.
Scaffolding's gone up at the side of the building, to provide access to the Theatre roof, which is undergoing some repairs.
Lighthouse General Manager Martyn Balson said:
"This is the first phase of a much longer term maintenance plan for our roof. After four and a half decades bearing the brunt of all types of weather we want to make sure it is fully secure for the return of our audiences in September."
Inside, both blocks of ground floor toilets are being refurbished with new flooring, new soft-push flush buttons and new six-litre cisterns.
There's also seat repairs and touch-ups of the interior paintwork, while two backstage doors will be fully automated to enable wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility to access the stage and orchestra pit from their dressing rooms without assistance.
This work has been made possible by a grant of £5,000 from the Theatres Trust.
They're also testing motion sensor technology in backstage areas to turn off lighting in corridors and other spaces when not in use.
Martyn Balson said:
"Lighthouse welcomes many thousands of visitors every year and keeping a building as large as this is in good shape is obviously a major undertaking.
"Although we're closed to the public in August, it is actually one of our busiest times of the year behind the scenes, but with staff training beginning again in a couple of weeks we'll be ready to reopen in time for a bumper autumn season in the run up to this year's family pantomime, Aladdin. Oh yes, we will!"