Are you sitting comfortably? Then you could be trying out one of the 353 new seats at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone.

The cushioned red fold down chairs – are just one improvement brought about as part of more than £100,000 worth of investment which has been ploughed into the Earl Street venue by new management company Parkwood Theatres.

Work has also included new carpet throughout, a refurbished bar with seating and a small stage area, and a lick of paint have also helped spruce up the site, while planning permission is awaited for a brand new look outside, including purple signs and banners.

Contractors will also soon begin creating disabled access at the front entrance.

General manager, Natalie Price, said: “It is really exciting. People will really see a difference. People who come once a year will really notice it – especially our panto audiences. They will notice the seating and the different smell.”

It is the first major investment in the theatre since the early 1980s. The work unveiled has been paid for through a partnership between Parkwood Theatres and Maidstone council.

There are plans for an open day for the public to see the new look this summer when all the improvements have been completed.