Yeovil's Octagon Theatre's official upgrade plans made public

The Octagon Theatre wants to attract higher-profile acts

Formal plans for a £29m upgrade of a major theatre have been made public.

South Somerset District Council announced in December 2020 that they would improve the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil, Somerset, in order to attract bigger shows and high profile acts.

Changes will include an increased seating capacity, two new smaller cinemas and a dance studio.

"The scheme would be a positive benefit for the economy and local community," said a council representative.

The council confirmed in July that the venue would close its doors in April 2023, having previously agreed to increase the project's budget by £6m in light of rising construction costs.

The official planning application has now been made public, with a decision expected to be taken in early 2023, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The seating capacity in the main auditorium will increase from 622 to 900

The revamped Octagon Theatre will have a community studio offering a space for local choirs, theatre groups, and arts and craft workshops.

An improved café bar area, open throughout the day, with an accessible toilet is also part of the plans.

A spokesman for Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (representing the council in its capacity as the applicant) said: "The general principle to improve, update and extend the existing theatre is supported by both national and local policy.

The council said the design has been carefully considered

"Although it includes relatively large extensions to the building, the site is within an urban location with sufficient space to accommodate the scale of the proposal."

The council's south area committee is expected to make a decision on the plans in the next couple of months, allowing the theatre to close at the end of April 2023 for the work to commence.

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