Theatre in a former Argos prepares for debut show

The show will be performed 'in the round' in the new space

A youth theatre group based in a shopping centre is preparing for its first show there.

Swindon-based Prime Youth Theatre have been touring the country since 1986 but have recently taken residence in the former Argos in Swindon's Brunel Shopping Centre.

Its latest show - 'Grow Up' - has been devised by its young members and tells the story of young people navigating modern day life.

The show will be performed 'in the round' - meaning it will be performed on a central stage surrounded by the audience on all sides.

"We tried loads of ideas and found that they were having a lot of fun playing with the concept of video games and growing up as completing levels and different life milestones are different achievements in this digital world we've created," said the show's co-director Erin Fletcher.

Prime Theatre communications director Jaime Ponting said: "It's a really exciting space and we're really lucky to have had such a good response from The Brunel and FI Real Estate Management who manage the centre.

"We normally perform at Swindon Arts Centre and the Wyvern Theatre, and it's really exciting to be able to do something somewhere new.

"We're always looking for novel spaces and new ways to reach audiences and sometimes a conventional theatre space can be inaccessible so we're always looking for exciting ways to do something new."

The retail unit has been empty for a number of years and the Prime Theatre team have been busy fitting lights, building sets and getting it ready to welcome an audience of 60 to see 'Grow Up' on 12 and 13 February.