The box office at the theatre opened today and we welcomed our first customers through the door. It was great to see the box office in action – even if it was accompanied by the sound of drills and hammering! The theatre will open for the first performance on 16th January but we’ll also be opening the venue for a schools carol concert on Wednesday, so the stalls area of the theatre will be ready for then.

The last few weeks have been madness. Although we’ve moved into the offices, there is still a lot of work going on around us. Trips to the loo have required hard hats and high visibility jackets and more than once I’ve abandoned phone calls as the fire announcement is being tested. Sharing our new building with the construction team has some good points too though – seeing changes to the venue everyday and the building taking shape. The auditorium is finished now and they are rigging lighting as I type.

It’s been quite a whirlwind since I started at the theatre. There have been many people who’ve been opposed to the Rose but many more who are passionate about the venue and can’t wait to see it in action. They have been just the tonic that’s been needed when our theatre has felt like a far away dream. Now it’s a reality and a close one at that.

It’s a very happy time for us here but also a very nervous time as we wait to see how the future of the theatre unfolds. There’s so much still to do, so many tickets to sell, seats to fill with bums and fundraising activities to carry out to keep this theatre running and bringing in the crowds we need. Although this is the end of the building process, it’s just the beginning of another phase in the Rose’s life. Its frightening and exciting, nerve wracking but exhilarating – and I am very glad to be a part of it.