Dorking Halls to reopen with Christmas panto, Paddington and Wicked after £4m revamp

The people of Dorking will be getting an 'early Christmas present' as the town's entertainment venue is due to reopen after a six month closure. Dorking Halls will be opening up in time for it panto season and some of the year's biggest Hollywood blockbusters.

The official reopening date is days away and a special ceremony has been announced to mark the occasion. Mole Valley District Council was forced to close its veritable old venue in June so it could undergo the first stage of an £11million facelift, to replace the 1930s plaster ceiling in the grand hall together with much needed mechanical and electrical work to its stage and internal workings.

The first stage of that work, which has so far cost £4m, is now complete, the halls will reopen its doors on Monday, December 9 with screenings of Paddington in Peru, Wicked and Gladiator 2. Then, from December 20 the big winter panto Sleeping Beauty takes to the stage, complete with 3D laser projections.

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Ahead of the big day the council is also hosting a special reopening celebration the Friday before to show off the upgraded site, which will also features newly enlarged toilet provision, and a draft lobby.

Councillor Stephen Cooksey, leader of the council, said: “I wanted to update you of an ‘early Christmas present’. The work to replace the Grand Hall ceiling at Dorking Halls has gone brilliantly well and our entertainment venue will be re-opening as planned on Monday, December 9, with the panto, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ beginning not long after on the December 20 and running until the end of the month.

“Whilst Dorking Halls has been closed, the opportunity has been taken to upgrade our film projectors meaning that they will not only present even better-quality visuals, but also run in a greener, more energy efficient, manner. So, be prepared for an invigorated cinema experience when the Halls reopens with a comprehensive events screening and film listing.”

The second phase of the project's £11m refurbishment will take place in 2025 and will focus on replacing "critical mechanical and electrical systems" - said to be its heating and cooling plant - that are near the end of their useful lives.