PROGRESS to refurbish Bolton’s theatre marches on.

The back of The Octagon is currently undergoing a partial demolition as part of the multi-million pound revamp and will be rebuilt to the new design.

Work on the theatre officially began in August this year and the newest iteration of The Octagon is scheduled to open early 2020.

Roddy Gauld, chief executive said: “It is fascinating to be able to see the progression of the project as it happens.

“We’ve been planning the redevelopment for several years and it’s very exciting to see our plans come to life.

“Demolition of certain sections of the building will allow us to rebuild a much improved theatre – with more space for community groups and young people, better disabled access throughout and provide an improved visitor experience.

“The redevelopment will allow the Octagon to be a centre of artistic excellence for the people of Bolton and beyond for many years to come and we can’t wait to welcome audiences when we reopen in early 2020.”

Contractors Wilmott Dixon are eight weeks into the redevelopment and after weeks of removing interior fixtures and erecting scaffolding around the building they have entered the demolition stage.

Plans for improving and modernising the town-centre theatre were first mooted in 2015 and £10 million to pay for the project was secured from a variety of grants and donations.

The redevelopment will give the theatre more space behind the scenes and make it more accessible to all members of its audience and staff.

A key element on the project is make the building more visually striking a document in the early plans reveals. The most recent artists impressions of how the theatre will look show a brick facade with a new corner entrance further up Howell Croft Street South towards the car park.

In the image the glass front of The Octagon has been replaced by a mostly brick facade punctuated by an asymmetrical window layout.