Peterborough's Key Theatre set to close for four months in 2025 for £2m works following RAAC discovery

The Key Theatre in Peterborough is set to be closed for around four months in 2025 to allow significant works to take place.

The works come after RAAC was identified in the building’s roof in October 2023.

A temporary roof costing £196,000 was able to be installed to allow the theatre to reopen in December but now a permanent solution must be found.

As part of the design stage of the new roof, investigations into the theatre’s heating and cooling systems, ventilation and extraction and smoke extraction have found that the systems need replacing to bring them up to modern standards.

A budget of £1.54m has already been approved for the project but as additional budget of £650,000 has been submitted as part of the capital bids for 2025/26 to account for the additional works.

Due to the lease agreement signed with the operator Landmark Theatres, the council is responsible for the works to the building.

The council has said that the auditorium is due to re-open in early October 2025 as “any unplanned closure following this period will potentially impact on the operator’s ability to deliver the annual pantomime programme which provides a significant source of income to Landmark Theatres.”

A competitive tender process will commence in early January 2025 for the planned works.

Landmark Theatres run both the Key and New Theatres in Peterborough so are likely to transfer planned shows during the closure period to the New Theatre.