The £50m redevelopment of a theatre in north Wales is expected to create 100 jobs and generate more than £20m annually for the local economy. The new Theatr Clwyd in Mold, Flintshire, will reopen next year.
Chief Executive Liam Evans-Ford said research showed the venue’s current turnover generated £10m a year for the area’s economy, commenting: "That’s estimated to double if not treble when we’re open with all the extra people we’ll be employing."
Evans-Ford said the theatre was one of four in the UK with "all the making departments in-house”, employing staff such as costume makers, scenic artists, welders, carpenters and technicians.
The new venue will reduce its carbon footprint by 80% through approaches such as solar panels, air source heating and rainwater harvesting.
Evans-Ford said the building would be carbon neutral "on the right days” and that “with the right weather and plenty of sunshine, we can be carbon positive”.
The theatre, which opened in 1976, has hosted performances by actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Vanessa Redgrave.