A TOP team of consultants will begin work next week on the long-awaited feasibility study for Chester’s state-of-the-art theatre.

And council determination to place Chester alongside Europe’s leading cultural centres was further boosted with the news that the city will stageŠa four-week open air theatre season in Grosvenor Park, this Summer.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have appointed the Manchester-basedŠLocum Consulting toŠleadŠthe four-month feasibility study, which will examine every aspect ofŠ

building an iconic theatreŠin the city.

“By early summer, theŠvision of an international standard theatre that this city so badly needs will be a lot closer to realisation,” said Cllr Richard Short, Executive for Culture and Recreation.

“By then, we should have the suggested designs, costs, aŠgood idea of the arts and culture facilitiesŠthe building will house and, of course, suggestions for its location.”

One suggested site for the multi-million pound theatre - possibly complemented by a principal conference centre - is the Little Roodee car Park on the banks of the River Dee.

The study will involveŠa team of consultantsŠexamining aŠwhole rangeŠrelated subjectsŠfromŠarts management to transport infrastructureŠandŠan economic impact assessmentŠto architecture.

“The firms selectedŠare predominately based in the North West and have strong understanding of culture and arts in the region,” saidŠCllr Short. “Not only will they be looking at theŠtheatre issue but also at extending the city’s conference facilities.”

Theatre in the Park will involve the construction of aŠspecially designed removable open-air theatre seating 350 people and based loosely on the highly successful Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.ŠŠ

A unique tiered and lawn seating lay-out will enable the audience to picnic in the picturesque park setting whilst watching the performance – echoing a more traditional Shakespearean style of theatre.

Actors will perform amongst theatregoers as well as on the stage.

AndrewŠBentley, director of Chester Performs, said: “This will be professionally produced theatre toŠthe very highest standardŠand our aim is to produce a standard of entertainmentŠthat ranks alongside anything onŠthe international stage.

“We are creating a new theatre company for the seasonŠand have been able to attractŠ some of theŠcountry’s most exciting directors and designers to work with us on the project.”

More than 6,000 tickets will go onŠsale for theŠseason - mid July to early August -Šwhich isŠexpected toŠboost tourism and the local economyŠin addition to adding significantlyŠto the city’s cultural offer.

Full programme dates will be announced next week and tickets will go on sale from mid April.

Both the new theatre and Theatre in the Park are part of a £50m blueprint designed to revive Chester’s national and international cultural appeal andŠboost the city’s City of Culture bid in 2017.

Finance for the £200,000-plus Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre project has come from the Council, the Arts Council and, it is hoped, private sector sponsorship.

And it is hoped that funding for the theatre will come from the local authority, public and private sectorsŠand charitable trusts.

Locum - one of the country’s most successfulŠleisure consultancies- has been involved with numerous leadingŠprojects including the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Liverpool’s Everyman and Playhouse Theatres and the Theatre Museum, Blackpool.

Architectural consultants, Arts Team, have worked on designsŠfor the Crucible Theatre, Birmingham Convention Centre, Saddler’s Wells Theatre and the BrightonŠDome Museum and Art Gallery.