REFURBISHMENT work totalling £150,000 is under way at Basingstoke's Haymarket Theatre, ready for its reopening in September under the new management of The Anvil Trust.

Redecoration, technical improvements to a lift and the first phase of a programme to recover worn-out seats are among the upgrades already carried out at the Wote Street theatre, which closed under its existing administration at the end of January.

Construction work will soon begin on a new box office, which will offer people visiting the Top of the Town the chance to book tickets for shows at both the Haymarket and The Anvil in one place.

Councillor Keith Chapman, the borough council's Cabinet member for sport and leisure, is also set to agree an extra £30,000 for designs and costings to investigate if a new foyer bar could be built at the theatre in the future.

Councillor Chapman said he wanted the council to work together with The Anvil Trust and other partners to secure the future of the Haymarket Theatre as a key cultural venue.

He said: "We want to look at ways of improving the building to offer an even better experience for theatre-goers and visitors to the borough.

"We are keen to work with Hampshire County Council in a partnership to maximise the opportunities provided by The Willis Museum and Haymarket Theatre buildings neighbouring each other.

"A cultural hub' at the Top of the Town would increase the vibrancy and atmosphere of this area."

The main refurbishment work will be finished for the new season, which starts with a touring production of the Roald Dahl classic Danny the Champion of the World, which opens on September 25.