THE stage is set for a dramatic £750,000 facelift at Ilkley Playhouse.

The new building project, which has begun this week, is expected to take 26 weeks to complete and should be finished by the end of the year.

The upgrade will include:

l A new studio theatre to operate alongside the existing auditorium in Weston Road.

l New staircase and entrance.

l Full disabled access and facilities which includes lifts and toilets.

l New seating in the main auditorium.

l Resurfacing and maintenance of roads to the north of the building.

Ilkley Players spokeswoman Vanessa Gibson said: "The fulfilment of the new building project will mean that the Playhouse can offer vastly improved facilities for all its patrons, especially the elderly and disabled.

"It will be an excellent new venue for social and cultural activities within the community, such as the Literature Festival and the Film Society, and offer much greater opportunities for young people to work and perform within the new building."

The number of productions staged at the Playhouse will increase from eight to 12 each year, one of which will be an annual production by the children attending the very popular Greenroom classes, and the new Studio theatre will be available for hire by many more local organisations than previously.

The main contractor for the project is Ilkley-based Quarmby Construction Company Limited and the designer is local architects Philip Lees and Associates.

Quarmby's managing director David Jones said: "The aim is to create a venue that the whole community can be proud of, and as an Ilkley-based firm I believe we are in the best position to deliver this."

Pat Dyson, president of Ilkley Players, said: "Opting for Quarmby was a fairly simple decision. They have a deserved reputation for high quality workmanship and are thoroughly professional in their approach to every aspect of a project."

Ilkley Playhouse has played an important part in the social and cultural life of the town for more than 50 years. Over that time it has staged nearly 500 productions and nurtured the early development of a considerable number of actors who have gone on to successful professional careers.

Disruption to the Ilkley Player's hectic schedule of plays will be kept to a bare minimum, with only their adaptation of H E Bates's 'Darling Buds of May' at the end of this season's programme and the first show of the next being disrupted.

Mr Jones said: "As with every project our intention is to surpass the highest of expectations, and by the time the Ilkley Players return to the Playhouse in December they will have a theatre that will be the envy of many professional dramatic

societies."

The project was made possible by grants, £544,611 from the Arts Council and £50,000 from the Federation for Sports and the Arts, with the remainder, to a total of around £750,000, being raised by Ilkley Players themselves.

Individuals and businesses who wish to contribute to the project should contact John Hirst, of the Ilkley Players on 01943 600127, for further details.

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