Birmingham Rep closed for major makeover

Birmingham Repertory Theatre is preparing to close in the new year while it is refurbished as part of the landmark £188 million Library of Birmingham development.

The theatre on Broad Street is set to close following the final performance of its festive production The Secret Garden on January 8.

It will then tour venues across the city for the next two years until it reopens in 2013. When completed, the new library will integrate with a fully remodelled and refurbished Rep in a new "centre of culture and knowledge".

Many behind-the-scenes staff members have already moved out of The Rep's home in Centenary Square to take up residence at the company's new administrative headquarters in the Jewellery Quarter, which will be the temporary base until 2013.

Mark Farnan, The Rep's spokesman, said: "During our change of scenery we'll be returning to our original home, The Old Rep, as well as making use of other well- established venues such as the Mac and The Crescent Theatre.

"We'll also be charting unfamiliar territory as we're planning some exciting shows in places where you might not expect to watch a play — and for these site-specific pieces we're hoping to involve people who haven't worked in theatre before."

A 2011 off-site season has already been launched and highlights include Notes To Future Self by Lucy Caldwell, which will run at the Mac at Cannon Hill Park in Edgbaston between March 3 and 12, and The Wiz, based on The Wizard of Oz, which will be held from June 10 and 18 at the Alexandra Theatre.

The landmark new library development is on schedule to open in 2013, on Centenary Square between Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Baskerville House.

Tower cranes are on site, and structures already in place give a clue to the scale of the completed main building. When completed the new library will be physically connected to the Rep, which has already had its extension demolished.

The glass-fronted library, which will cover 31,000 sq ft, is being built by Wolverhampton-based Carillion.

A fundraising campaign was launched in May to raise £34m from the public and businesses to fund Birmingham's new library.