KING George’s Hall has been transformed ready for when it can welcome audiences back.

The Blackburn venue, in Northgate, has had a lick of paint in all public areas, including the main hall, to make it look fresh for whenever it is able to reopen.

This year marks the hall's centenary and venue operations director Neil Dagnall is hopeful that they will be open to celebrate their 100th birthday.

He said: “We can’t wait to welcome people back.

“This is a special year for us as it’s our centenary year and it looks fantastic and we really want to get people in.

“We are all here to put shows on, hosts dinners, exhibitions and award ceremonies.

“We just don’t know what to do with ourselves, so it’s been great that we have been able to get in and do the hall up.”

On top of a paint job, the theatre has also installed new seats on the balcony, added refreshment kiosks and renewed the heating and hot water systems.

Neil said that although it has been awful to be closed for so long, it has given them the opportunity to get the renovations done.

He added: “When we put shows on two or three times a week you just don’t get a chance to do these jobs.

“One of the benefits of being closed down is you get time to do it. We have done stuff we just couldn’t have done unless it was absolutely necessary.

“There is some good coming out of all this tragedy.”

Theatres in Lancashire have not yet been able to open since their initial closure before the lockdown in March last year.

With the lockdown not easing until at least March 8, it is looking increasingly likely that audiences will not be able to see a production in March, marking a year that performers have not been able to properly work.