The Regent theatre is a great entertainment venue and key part of creating a vibrant town centre. However, the theatre is 94 years old and needs extra investment to meet the needs of a modern audience. Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) own and manage the venue and are looking to improve it for both audiences and performers.

The first phase is nearing completion.  A modular building will take up part of the car park at the back of the building. This will give three large additional dressing rooms, one of which has fully accessible facilities. They are each 7.6 by 5 metres which will accommodate several performers.  A large versatile space is also provided, with a small kitchen that can be used for various applications whether that be catering, as a meeting room, wardrobe, or another dressing space.

With a better backstage area, we can ensure that performers get a warm welcome and enjoy a comfortable, safe stay, which in turn will help to grow our varied programme and attract more audiences.

That covers the back of house improvements, what about the front of house?

The Regent is a Grade II listed building and with that comes a huge amount of responsibility. Everything we do in the venue has to be considered, investigated, planned, carefully signed off and sometimes we even need to get planning permission. That also means any change is expensive.

To protect the venue and keep investment at a high level, Regent bookings going forward will include a restoration levy. This is a common way of raising extra revenue for older theatres. All tickets over £10 will have a levy of £1.50 added. It is interesting to note that six out of ten tickets are sold outside Ipswich.

Every single restoration levy we receive will go into improving the Regent and protecting it for another 94 years.

What needs to be improved? The front of the building is unappealing, disabled access is unwelcoming, the foyer is cramped, bar provision is poorly laid out and inadequate, and there are long queues for the toilets during the interval.

Where to start?  The canopy at the front will be improved. Disabled access into the foyer will be slicker and with access to a new lift.  The lobby area will be enlarged with a new bar and merchandising areas.  The Crush Hall – the area before the doors to the seating – will be cleared and opened up, with a new, longer bar provided there. Ceilings will all have the same Art Deco pattern, created using the original moulds. Upstairs, the Circle Lounge will be updated with a revised bar provision, removal of the stage and refurbished toilets.

A single storey extension will be built on a small piece of land at the side of the building, which will more than double the number of female toilets.  This will also allow a ‘changing places’ facility to be provided. The massive increase in toilet provision will surely be widely welcomed, as this will allow people to get to both the toilet and the bar in the interval.

These are exciting developments, though they will not happen overnight.  A project plan is in the works, so likely dates will soon be available.

IBC are proud that the Regent already attracts big names and shows, as the theatre with the biggest capacity in the East of England.  However, these improvements will help make our theatre even more attractive to show producers looking for venues of a high standard, both on and off-stage.  The improvements will be widely welcomed by audiences and help cement the Regent’s position as a premier entertainment venue in the East of England.