Members of the public can now take a look around Chester Storyhouse as the clock counts down to the official opening.
But people need to know that a sneek peak of the theatre, cinema and library is all that is on offer as staff and actors work towards the launch day on Thursday, May 11.
A colourful community celebration has taken place at Storyhouse today (Thursday, May 4) with children and adults involved in various activities including story-telling, dancing, drawing and reading.
Primary school pupils formed a human chain or ‘book worm’ to pass books between the old library and their new home in Storyhouse with music courtesy of Dave Southern, better known as ‘Mr Peewee, the drumming puppet’. There have been guided tours throughout the day.
In the lead-up to launch day, the building will be open to the public between 10am and 4pm daily.
Spokeswoman Nancy Davies said: “People are welcome to come in and have a look around but there are no shows or screenings and the library is not open. There are no tours. The big push is around the opening day on May 11.”
However, the art deco building and modern extension are impressive enough with spacious and stylish areas plus high quality fixtures and fittings including plush carpets, a fully restored 1936 original Odeon sofa and interactive digital wall.
Storyhouse shunned the idea of a celebrity opening to reflect the ambition for the venue to put the ‘community at its heart’. However, there should still be a sense of occasion on opening night with plans for a red carpet and search lights.
BBC Radio Merseyside intend to broadcast their breakfast show live from Storyhouse and BBC North West Tonight are talking about an outside broadcast in the evening.
The opening production is the musical comedy The Beggar’s Opera. The inaugural season of shows include Alice in Wonderland plus Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar. The autumn touring season features the UK’s leading stand-up comedians, West End hits, musicals and drama.
The building will be open from 8am on the first morning proper when people can buy coffee, check out a book and book tickets for a show. The first movie screening is on Friday, May 12.
