| And here on Radio Rivenden we have Lynne Rawley, the Public Relations Officer of our own Rivenden City Theatre. |
| Hello, Lynne. |
| Hello. |
| Now, the theatre is reopening soon after its three-year redevelopment programme, isn't it? |
| That's right, and there are a lot of improvements. |
| The first thing people will see when they go in |
| is that the foyer has been repainted in the original green and gold. |
| Then the box office has been reoriented, with its own access from the side of the building instead of through the foyer, |
| which means it can be open longer hours, and has more space, too. |
| The shop that used to be in the foyer, which sold books and CDs, |
| is the one part of the redevelopment which isn't yet complete. |
| The plan is to find new premises for it near the theatre, |
| and we've had difficulty finding somewhere suitable. |
| We hope to reopen the shop in the next few months. |
| Will audiences find any difference in the auditorium? |
| Yes, we've increased the leg-room between the rows. |
| This means that there are now fewer seats |
| but we're sure audiences will be much happier. |
| And we've installed air conditioning, so it won't get so hot and stuffy. |
| We already had a few seats which were suitable for wheelchair users, |
| and now there are twice as many, which we hope will meet demand. |
| Something else that will benefit audiences is the new lifts. |
| The two we used to have were very small and slow. |
| They've now gone, and we've got much more efficient ones. |
| Anything for the performers? |
| Yes, we've made a number of improvements backstage. |
| The small, dark dressing rooms we used to have have been converted into two large airy rooms, |
| so they're much more comfortable now. |
| And the state-of-the-art electronic sound and lighting systems have been installed. |
| Okay, so what's the first play that audiences can see when the theatre reopens? |
| We've got a very exciting production of Peter Shaffer's Royal Hunt of the Sun, which is currently touring the country. |
| That starts on October the 13th and runs till the 19th. |
| We're experimenting a bit with the time the curtain goes up. |
| We used to start all our performances at 7.30, |
| but that made it difficult for people to go home by public transport, |
| so instead, we're beginning at 7, |
| because at 9.45, when it finishes, there are still buses running. |
| Tickets are already selling fast. |
| The Friday and Saturday performances sold out almost immediately |
| and, in fact, now there are only tickets for Monday and Thursday. |
| How much are they? |
| We've introduced a simpler price structure. |
| Ticket prices used to range from £6 to £30 |
| but now they're all £18. |
| They're available from the box office, in person, by phone, fax or post, or online. |
| Okay, Lynne, now if you'd like to give the contact details... |