Richard Burdge chief Reporter

The people of Perth had their first opportunity yesterday to reacquaint themselves with an old friend they haven’t seen for a few years.

They could see the theatre has certainly gone up in the world since they last met but the general consensus was that it still retains the charm that made it such a much-loved local attraction.

It has always been much more than just a venue.

Lying at the heart of the High Street, it has been a meeting place for generations of friends to enjoy a coffee or something to eat.

The whole access of the theatre has been spun round, with the modest High Street entrance still available but with a whole new welcome available from Mill Street.

Coming through the dramatic new frontage, visitors enter a completely new building of bars, restaurants and a studio theatre before little glimpses of the old let you get your bearings.

Peeking into the refurbished auditorium, any lover of the original theatre will breathe a sigh of relief

– the Edwardian gem remains completely familiar, though lovingly restored as the centrepiece of the multi-million-pound project.

Hats off to the architects and designers who have carried off the marriage of the old and the new with a theatrical flourish.