Here’s a virtual tour of the theatre (it’s the old layout but well worth watching)
We’ve Done It!
After a long and eventful journey, we are delighted to announce that our brand-new theatre foyer opened for business just in time for our March Main House production, A Mirror.
It has certainly been a challenging road at times. Modernising our much-loved and venerable theatre building was never going to be easy— but the goal of making BLT more welcoming, accessible, and enjoyable for everyone drove us along. And now, thanks to determination, initiative, patience, and a huge amount of hard work, we think we’ve achieved something truly transformational…and here’s a quick update video of “our Jess” showing the changes we’ve made to the foyer!
What’s New?
As you will see from the pictures below, we now have: –
- a bright, modern and fully accessible new entrance lobby;
- a brand new lift;
- a new three-flight staircase;
- accessible & ambulant toilets; and,
- an external ramp to the entrance
…………………all designed to make visiting BLT easier and more comfortable for our members, performers, volunteers, and audiences as we continue to deliver our vision of ‘outstanding theatre for everyone‘.
Official Opening & Celebrations
On 28th March, the Deputy Mayor of Bromley officially opened the new foyer at a short ceremonial event.
And then, from 5.00pm, we opened our doors for drinks and informal celebrations, giving members, supporters and friends the chance to: –
- Experience the new space;
- Catch up with familiar faces;
- Raise a glass to a major milestone; and,
- Celebrate the incredible effort that has gone into delivering this transformation.
This project has only been possible thanks to the extraordinary commitment, generosity and persistence of so many people, to whom we are eternally grateful.
So, enjoy these pictures of our shiny new foyer — and we look forward to welcoming you through those new doors very soon!
What’s Next?
So, Phase 3 of our building works is complete and we now need to take a quick breather.
After that, we are planning a mini project (Phase 3+) to: –
- close off the old audience stairs;
- re-position the first floor kitchen to create more recreational and performance space in the bar;
- de-commission and remove the old lift;
- re-purpose the space created by removing the lift;
- consider how we can re-configure the downstairs storage space to make better use of it;
- refresh and finish off the Bar area; and,
- review and specify required electrical capacity in the upper foyer.
So, we still have plenty to do…watch this space, or see our BLTins/Social media channels for updates as they happen.
...and after that?
The next significant stage of our long-term re-building strategy will be Phase 4.
This is likely to be a major project and may necessitate the temporary closure of the theatre. However, we have not yet finalised the scope of this work.
Currently it includes: –
- Lowering the floor between the bar area and auditorium;
- Creating additional upper-floor space;
- Installing an accessible ramp to the auditorium; and,
- Re-roofing and insulating the north bloc.
This will be a major structural project and necessitate the temporary closure of the theatre. We will not be in a position to fund works of this scale without raising considerably greater funding than we did for Phase 3. So, for the time being, it is on hold.