On Friday March 24, the Royal Hippodrome will open its doors following a three-month renovation to restore the theatre to its former glory.
Directors Alex and Debbie Adams entrusted the work and project management to well known local performer and interior designer Barney Pout.
Alongside decorator Philip Potter and a small team of helpers, including the theatres technical team, Barney has been busy giving the iconic building a much-needed facelift.
Alex and Debbie took over the running of the theatre in 2018 and they have seen it go from strength to strength over the last five years, despite the pandemic. They knew at some stage that they would need to invest heavily in order to bring the theatre up to date and ensure that it was fit for purpose and a welcoming and comfortable place for people to visit.
After completing the extension to the foyer in 2019, they felt the time was right to move on to other parts of the theatre.
The main focus was the auditorium which has been completely revamped and updated, with a massive amount of work going into the circle fronts to try and emulate how they would have looked originally.
New bespoke carpet has been fitted throughout the venue by Darren Beal Flooring and the ceiling rose – a huge focal point in the building – has received a lot of tender loving care. All the seating in the Stalls and Upper Circle has been refurbished and all the seating in the dress circle has been completely replaced.
It Is not too late to ‘Sponsor A Seat’ at the Hippodrome. You will have a seat dedicated to you in the new auditorium and a brass plaque to show your support of the venue. This can be booked online and any money raised will go directly towards the upkeep of the theatre.
"The Hippodrome is a community building and is used by many different groups from Eastbourne and the surrounding area. Schools, dance academies, local theatrical groups and many youth theatre groups, are now all using the venue and we're delighted to welcome them to The Hippodrome which celebrates its 140th birthday this year."
The opening night event has already sold out, but there there are more shows coming up over the next year including the Easter Pantomime, The Wizard of Oz, running from April 5-10. Tickets are available from the RHT website below.
"We can’t wait to welcome you back to the oldest theatre in Eastbourne!"
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