Theatre reopens after flooding caused temporary move

The Mill Arts Centre had to close its auditorium in February

A theatre that was forced to close after flooding earlier this year has reopened.

The auditorium at the Mill Arts Centre, in Banbury, was forced to shut in February after flooding caused damage to the stage and floor.

While repair work took place, the theatre relocated its performances to the indoor bowls facility at Woodgreen Leisure Centre.

Andrew Lister, chief executive of the venue, said he was "relieved" and "excited" that the auditorium could welcome back audiences.

"It's been a long time coming, but I think there's no place like home," he told the BBC.

Andrew Lister is chief executive at The Mill Arts Centre

The theatre had initially been expected to reopen in mid-April, but that date was pushed back twice after inspections revealed more extensive work was required to fix the damage, and prevent it from reoccurring.

During the repairs, shows that would have otherwise been rescheduled or cancelled were relocated to a temporary auditorium at the nearby Woodgreen Leisure Centre.

"We've got to take positives from these opportunities, we're really grateful for everyone's support," Mr Lister said.

The auditorium can now welcome back audiences

The former watermill sits on a narrow piece of land in the town centre, between the Oxford Canal and River Cherwell - making it particularly susceptible to flooding during periods of heavy rain, such as those at the start of this year.

Heavy rain last week did not affect the venue's plans to reopen the theatre, although flood water did come close to the front doors.

Mr Lister said he "would be lying" if he said he had not been "a little concerned", but was "glad" that the venue had come through unscathed.

Looking to the future, he said: "There is nothing we can do about it [flooding], it is more about resilience and making sure that products we're using are as safe and resilient to that as possible.

"If it does happen again, it's a case of cleaning and drying, rather than being closed for months on end," he said.