The Grand Theatre
The Grand Theatre Trust and patrons have always wanted the auditorium of the theatre restored when it first opened in 1894. Recreating the Glorious Grand made possible by raising £250,000 from patrons-local businesses and audiences and a grant of £239,000 from The Heritage Lottery Fund.
The restoration of this beautiful appearance has been possible by experts working from suspended platform beneath the ceiling, supervised by Bryan Cardy. Two tons of dust was removed from the void space above the ceiling, along with surface dirt and varnish over the painting. Solvents have been used to remove the covering, which differs according to the layers. It is true that varnish has preserved some of the rich colours beneath -on the friezes, ceiling and panels.
The evidence of this work shows that it was last painted in the era when owned by the Tower Company. This emphasises that the grand came near to being lost to the redevelopment of the site in the Seventies.
Now, this restoration emphasises that the Grand is one of the finest venues for drama in this country, and confirms the success of the Trust in purchasing the Grand Theatre from EMI in 1980.
