We are excited to announce that project 1907 Elevation has recently received full planning approval from Portsmouth City Council and listed building approval from Historic England. The project will see the three shops along Albert Road transformed to become part of our 118-year-old building, whilst keeping the historic streetscape to preserve Frank Matcham’s original vision. We will be connecting the theatre to the street with a bright new entrance foyer; creating a flexible rehearsal and communal space, and providing modern facilities which meet the expectations of our audiences – all of which will improve accessibility for all patrons wishing to visit. We will also be restoring our iconic portico at the front of the building.

 

We are on schedule to appoint heritage contractors before the end of the year, such that we are in a position to start works early in 2026. 

We are anticipating build costs of £4m – £5m, much of which will be covered by the support of our audiences over the last 5 years. We do need to raise ~£2m over the next 12 months through: Grants; Ticket sales; Donations & Memberships; and we thank you again in anticipation of your continued support. We are confident that we will be in a position to start the project in the first quarter of 2026.

 

Keep up to date with all news of the 1907 Elevation project across our website and social media.