1And here on Radio Rivenden we have Lynne Rawley, the Public Relations Officer of our own Rivenden City Theatre.
2Hello, Lynne.
3Hello.
4Now, the theatre is reopening soon after its three-year redevelopment programme, isn't it?
5That's right, and there are a lot of improvements.
6The first thing people will see when they go in
7is that the foyer has been repainted in the original green and gold.
8Then the box office has been reoriented, with its own access from the side of the building instead of through the foyer,
9which means it can be open longer hours, and has more space, too.
10The shop that used to be in the foyer, which sold books and CDs,
11is the one part of the redevelopment which isn't yet complete.
12The plan is to find new premises for it near the theatre,
13and we've had difficulty finding somewhere suitable.
14We hope to reopen the shop in the next few months.
15Will audiences find any difference in the auditorium?
16Yes, we've increased the leg-room between the rows.
17This means that there are now fewer seats
18but we're sure audiences will be much happier.
19And we've installed air conditioning, so it won't get so hot and stuffy.
20We already had a few seats which were suitable for wheelchair users,
21and now there are twice as many, which we hope will meet demand.
22Something else that will benefit audiences is the new lifts.
23The two we used to have were very small and slow.
24They've now gone, and we've got much more efficient ones.
25Anything for the performers?
26Yes, we've made a number of improvements backstage.
27The small, dark dressing rooms we used to have have been converted into two large airy rooms,
28so they're much more comfortable now.
29And the state-of-the-art electronic sound and lighting systems have been installed.
30Okay, so what's the first play that audiences can see when the theatre reopens?
31We've got a very exciting production of Peter Shaffer's Royal Hunt of the Sun, which is currently touring the country.
32That starts on October the 13th and runs till the 19th.
33We're experimenting a bit with the time the curtain goes up.
34We used to start all our performances at 7.30,
35but that made it difficult for people to go home by public transport,
36so instead, we're beginning at 7,
37because at 9.45, when it finishes, there are still buses running.
38Tickets are already selling fast.
39The Friday and Saturday performances sold out almost immediately
40and, in fact, now there are only tickets for Monday and Thursday.
41How much are they?
42We've introduced a simpler price structure.
43Ticket prices used to range from £6 to £30
44but now they're all £18.
45They're available from the box office, in person, by phone, fax or post, or online.
46Okay, Lynne, now if you'd like to give the contact details...