Grand Theatre Unveils Refurbished Front-of-House

On Thursday 8 September, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre unveiled its new look to invited guests ahead of an official opening night on Saturday 10 September.

Between Monday 25 July and Sunday 4 September the theatre has undergone a major redevelopment with building contractors Speller Metcalfe seeing improvements made to all three levels of front of house and the replacement of all 1,200 seats in the auditorium.

The ground level has been completely redesigned to allow more convenient movement for customers when visiting the Box Office. The merchandise and confectionary kiosk has been replaced by a bar that will operate during the daytime from Monday 12 September, opening Monday - Saturday from 11am. The original foundation stone remains a feature of the bar where guests can enjoy a selection of fresh cakes, teas and coffees.

The stalls bar has been adapted to seat more people than previously possible with luxurious booth-style seating areas. Now known as The Encore Lounge, the space is a secondary performance area for more intimate events including comedy evenings and live music. The first programme of events for The Encore Lounge is free and selling out quickly from the Box Office.

The Dress Circle level has seen the installation of a new bar, named Arthur's Of The Grand - sponsored by British cutlery designers and manufacturers Arthur Price. Over 1000 pieces of cutlery have been made for Arthur's and in keeping with the Art Deco style of the new bar, Arthur Price has specially commissioned silver holloware pieces including champagne buckets, coasters and cocktail shakers all engraved with the Arthur's Of The Grand logo to make the whole experience for customers extra special. Arthur Price is a fifth generation family-owned company, with its headquarters based in nearby Lichfield where it also operates the UK's largest cutlery shop. Royal Warrant holders Arthur Price are renowned for adorning the finest dining tables in the World including The Savoy and Claridges, and now this famous British company can be found in the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Exclusive booths now feature along the dress circle loggia. Available to hire during your visit, each booth seats up to 6 people and guests can choose from packages of drinks and premium bar snacks. A host for each individual booth will take care of your group throughout the evening. Bookings are taken in advance and paid for at the Box Office.

The Utopia Suite on the Dress Circle level features a bottle bar and can also be reserved for larger groups or parties when visiting the theatre. It is named after the first ever performance at the Grand Theatre on 10th December 1894 - Utopia Limited by the Doyly Carte Opera Company.

The Grand Circle now features a boardroom, available to hire for business meetings. Known as The Spotlight Lounge, it will also serve as another large function room for guests during a visit to the theatre.

Inside the auditorium, all of the seats have been replaced, with a new 'Icon Chair' design by Audience Systems. These timeless and elegant chairs feature soft-closing seats, which will reduce noise levels in the auditorium. The ergomically contoured backrests, supportive seats and comfortable sitting height will improve comfort throughout the Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle.

Chief Executive of the Grand Theatre, Adrian Jackson said; "I am delighted we are able to extend our refurbishment project to include the whole front of house area. Enhancing the Theatre in this way will greatly improve the customer experience and will ensure the Grand not only continues as a celebrated Theatre venue but also becomes a popular daytime and early evening destination for socialising and intimate performance within the heart of the city centre. Staff have been given the opportunity to contribute to the design and it's been a great team effort pulling everything together".

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: "The Grand Theatre is one of the city's treasures and these improvements have been carried out sympathetically to show it off at its best - and improve the customer experience. We are delighted the £400,000 funding the council sourced from Black Country Growth Deal Funding has delivered such a fantastic refurbishment. It will open up further opportunities for hosting conferences and putting on bigger and more diverse shows. There is huge potential for attracting new audiences to Wolverhampton from across the West Midlands to live events and music, festivals, the arts, culture and night life. The improved facilities at the theatre will help this and lead to the creation of more jobs in the local economy."

Interior Designer, Grant Bushell of Urban Britannia Interiors said; "It has been a pleasure to work on this project - I have known and loved this theatre for as long as I can remember. In collaboration with Adrian I have delivered a timeless scheme that celebrates the Grand Theatre's history and has introduced a more theatrical ambience to the front of house areas."

Keith Ritson, Managing Director of Audience Systems said: "This project has been one of the year's highlights for everybody at Audience Systems. It's a privilege to work in a venue which boasts such a heritage and inspires so much affection. It's also an exciting first outing for Icon, our brand new theatre seat, and we hope Wolverhampton theatre-goers enjoy being the first to sit in it! We'd like to thank everyone at the theatre and at Speller Metcalfe for all their help in ensuring that the seating refit ran smoothly and successfully.

Simon Price, Chief Executive of Arthur Price said: "I have always been a huge fan of the Wolverhampton Grand having visited for the first time nearly 50 years ago. The changes to the Grand excite me. The Dress Circle Bar is now a destination in its own right due to it being lavish, splendid and a very special experience. I don't know of another similar regional venue which will have such a luxury setting and feel to that of Arthur's."

Des O'Neill, Managing Director at building contractors Speller Metcalfe said; "The Grand Theatre is part of our Wolverhampton heritage, and as a local contractor it's been an absolute pleasure to see the Theatre re-emerge after months of hard work by the project team. Having walked the boards a few times at school and spent many hours enjoying performances here it has been very special to be personally involved with bringing the facilities up to date in such an esteemed venue."

The reopening night Gala on 10 September will see TV's Angela Rippon host an evening of music from the world of Musical Theatre, culminating with a finale sing-a-long 'Last Night Of The Proms' - with plenty of patriotic flag-waving. The City Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Grand Theatre Chief Executive, Adrian Jackson.

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