Emporium Theatre on London Road is set to be refurbished before the start of its Spring/Summer season. Although Brighton’s only professional producing theatre, Emporium is not financially supported by any kind of grants and is looking for the public to help through a ‘Brick by Brick’ fundraiser.
Brick by Brick offers members of the public the chance to sponsor one of fifty bricks making up the theatre’s backstage wall. Every customer who purchases a brick will receive: official Emporium supporter status, a ticket to the gala opening of the refurbished theatre, invitations to press nights and members-only events, thanks in the Emporium programme as well as a picture of the back wall with their highlighted brick and special credit to all supporters.
Artistic director James Weisz doesn’t just want to improve the theatre for the public but for the actors too: “Audiences can forgive an uncomfortable chair or a squeaky floorboard if the show is good, but now it’s time for a change. That goes for backstage facilities too.”
The theatre is already a success with 87% of audience members rating show ‘Sleeping Beauty’ from ‘very good’ to ‘excellent’ over the Christmas period. With larger dressing rooms, new equipment and a new seating area, Emporium will be able to play an even more vital part of Brighton & Hove’s arts community as well as stand out in the redeveloping area of London Road.
A full programme of shows at the refurbished theatre is due to launch on April 21st with ‘What The Butler Saw’, ‘Puss in Boots’ and ‘The Jungle Book’ among its titles.
For more information about Emporium and how to get involved in Brick by Brick, visit the Emporium Brighton website.
Photo by Images Out Of The Ordinary
