A SOUTHAMPTON theatre is to celebrate its first birthday with a community party.

For the first anniversary of its multimillion-pound opening, the Nuffield Southampton Theatre City (NST), on Park Walk, is inviting up to 300 people from the city to take part in party games.

The event will take place on Saturday from 11.30am to 1.30pm to mark the opening night of the £30m arts centre.

Sam Hodges, director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, said: “A year has gone past in a flash. Four world premieres. Dance, circus, music and film for the first time ever. The best-selling show in NST history. And most importantly, new friends and new neighbours who are making our new building feel like a home.”

As well as a party, there will be behind-the-scenes tours and a live dance performance by NST’s resident dance theatre company ZoieLogic Dance Theatre.

Following the events, NST will have a matinee and evening performance of The Shadow Factory. It tells a story from the Second World War of how Southampton came together to build the Spitfire after the Supermarine factory at Woolston was destroyed in a 1940 bombing raid.

NST City opened on February 16 last year and has welcomed more that 62,000 people through its doors. The theatre has launched four world premieres including SS Mendi, Dancing the Death Drill and Billionaire Boy The Musical.

It features a flexible 450-seat main house theatre, a 133-seat studio, screening facilities, rehearsal and workshop spaces and a café-bar.