An outdoor theatre for Brighton

A new 425 seat outdoor theatre will be built in Brighton after being granted planning permission from the council. The Brighton Open Air Theatre will be landscaped from a disused bowling green in Dyke Wood Park. The amphitheatre will feature a thrust stage, as well as a three metre acoustic wall to minimise noise pollution from the venue. The theatre was the brainchild of Adrian Bunting – a local playwright and construction manager – who passed away in May last year, three weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The plans were initially proposed to the council in April 2013, but were deferred while the theatre’s opening hours were disputed. The council has now agreed that the theatre can stay open until 10pm, and host events six times a week or 22 times a month. The theatre will cost an estimated £75,000, of which £50,000 has so far been raised – both through fundraising events and Bunting’s life savings, which he left to BOAT in his will. BOAT voluntary committee member James Payne, who has written scripts for TV shows including Ashes to Ashes and The Musketeers, said the team promised Bunting they would make his plan become a reality. Upon completion, the theatre will host a variety of ticketed events by touring companies, local theatre groups and amateur societies. Originally planned as a 250-seat venue, the capacity is now planned to be 425, to accommodate touring companies. The first season for the theatre is expected to run for five months from May 2015, in time for the Brighton Festival. The theatre will then be open to the general public for the rest of the year.