The theatre was opened in 1983 shortly after the Montgomeryshire College of Further Education (now Coleg Powys) was built
It is managed by Coleg Powys on behalf of Powys County Council
The auditorium seats up to 556. Note that for larger audiences (+508) the forestage cannot be used. Two fixed balconies run from front to back of the auditorium. The central seating unit of 384 seats can be withdrawn to leave a clear floor area of some 12m x 12m. 100 loose seats are available.
A loading-bay "door" leads straight onto the stage right wings. Access is good for all types of transport. Bay width is 2.5m, height from outside ground level is 1m, doors are 3.5m high
A stage door on the south side leads to the two-story dressing room area.
There are two principal dressing rooms and one Chorus on the ground floor. A similar Chorus/Band room is situated above on the first floor. One first floor office has now been reclaimed as a dressing room, making five in all. Toilets and showers are situated on both floor levels. There is no ‘green room’. A small kitchen area is available on the first floor landing but unfortunately no cooking facilities are allowed here.
Access to the rear of the auditorium during performances necessitates going outside the building.
Front of house consists of the box office and bar and a foyer & coffee shop, shared with the college.
Merchandising now has a new position in the Gallery Foyer (the old pre-2011 box office area)
The building obviously operates a no-smoking policy. Smoking is permitted only outside. NB. Smoking as part of a performance is not permitted under any circumstances, this currently differs from England.
Car parking is free and adjacent to the theatre. Wheel chair access is possible to the stage area, the auditorium floor and all front of house areas. There are no wheelchair-accessible toilets backstage
In summer 2011 we had our new flytower & electric winches installed.
There are 19 new winches using the Stage Technologies BTLite 250 system - a variable
speed system accurate to within a few millimetres. We have upped the bar loading
as well to 425kg SWL.
The bars can be operated from the Stage Left wing or from the rear control room.
Maximum flying height is 12.5m and a cloth can be flown out in about 7 seconds.
The new winches have been great to use, making day to day jobs simpler and, of course,
to allow us to fly for the first time in 30 years.
Plans are still on-going to add extra dressing rooms, a studio, music rehearsal rooms
and new foyer with bar, dance studio & conference facilities. As ever funding is
the issue, not made easier by being in Mid-wales
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