A £17 million new 800-seat theatre described as 'the jewel in the crown' of a Hampshire town is complete.

Special guests have received a sneak peek at Fareham Live ahead of its opening this weekend. 

The Prat Pack, featuring national treasures Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley, Shane Richie and Joe Pasquale, will launch the venue on Saturday night, followed by a week-long run of the cult blockbuster musical The Rocky Horror Show, starring Jason Donovan as Dr Frank n Furter. 

(Image: Newsquest / Lorelei Reddin) READ MORE:  Price hikes at important venue could spell the end of community theatre groups

More than 30,000 tickets have already been sold for upcoming shows at the venue, including Cluedo 2, Blood Brothers, and this year's family pantomime Cinderella, starring AJ and Curtis Pritchard. 

The high tech main auditorium features cutting edge stage and backstage areas, a fly tower to allow it to host spectacular West End productions and QR codes on the back of each comfy seat to allow guests to order drinks and snacks to be delivered to their seats.

The venue also boasts a 120-seat studio and second versatile studio space, plus two cafe bars, one with a terrace overlooking one of Fareham's green spaces, and several spacious dressing rooms named after areas in the borough including Locks Heath and Hill Head. 

(Image: Newsquest / Lorelei Reddin) Cllr Connie Hockley, Fareham Borough Council's Executive Member for Leisure and Community, told an audience of dignitaries and press: "It is the jewel in Fareham borough's crown. 

"It's such a treat to be here enjoying this wonderful community asset and I hope the community will really embrace it.

"This has been our dream for a long time. Covid came along and it all fell apart. We've had a lot of ups and downs along the way, but here we are today and it's like a dream come true.

Council leader Simon Martin (Image: Newsquest / Lorelei Reddin) Leader of the Council, Cllr Simon Martin, explained the theatre, which has been funded entirely through a community infrastructure levy charged to developers, is part of plans to regenerate Fareham town centre. 

Fareham Live, which is the 16th venue run by Trafalgar Theatres, is believed to be the UK's greenest theatre with solar panels and air source heat pumps. Bricks from the previous building, Ferneham Hall, were even woven into the build. 

(Image: Newsquest / Lorelei Reddin)