COUNTY Durham's oldest theatre is enjoying a renaissance after a major restructuring project.

The Empire Theatre in Consett reopened in March last year, after a troubled, nine-month refurbishment programme.

Since the overhaul, audience figures have soared, takings are up and running costs have been slashed.

Theatre manager Nick Wiggins said: "Part of the success is down to putting on more shows, but the average audience for each show has gone up considerably as well."

Marketing manager Sue Fox said: "The quality of the programme is much improved.

"A few years ago we would have been reluctant to try and sell anything priced above £10 a ticket.

"Now we have the Moscow Ballet La Classique at £17 a ticket and it is selling out."

The Empire is the oldest traditional theatre in County Durham and has the largest cinema screen in the North-East.

Its refurbishment was scheduled to last six months and cost £700,000.

But builders discovered rising damp during the work, which led to a three-month delay and increased costs to about £1m.

However, it is already proving its worth. In 2001/02, the last full year the theatre was open, total attendance figures for live events stood at 12,956. This year already, this has more than doubled to 30,000.

The cinema audience has also risen, from 23,000 to 26,500, an increase of 16 per cent.

The revamp included a downstairs bar and lounge, 514 new seats with extra leg room, plus a new sound system and stage lighting.

The film projector was upgraded, the bar made more spacious and the foyer expanded.

Moving the bar downstairs and giving it a more caf-style theme has seen takings rocket from £8,200 in 2001/02 to £36,000 this financial year - an increase of 339 per cent.

It has proved so successful that it is now open in the daytime as well, serving snacks and hot drinks.

Having an all-new interior has also reduced running costs. Along with the extra cash flowing in from theatre-goers, this has helped the venue become less of a drain on the taxpayer.

Its subsidy from Derwentside District Council for next year is already set at 17 per cent lower than last year, at £60,000.

The buzz around the venue has finally attracted the attention of the Arts Council North-East.

"They have never really taken us seriously and we are fighting hard to get a direct subsidy," said Mr Wiggins.

"We are almost unique in the region as an arts venue of this scale that receives no subsidy from the Arts Council.

"We had practically given up on them. We begged them for help with the refit and all they could offer us was to pay for the new seating.

"Now we are doing well, they have been to see us, seen the building and are talking about supporting our programme.

"Hopefully, with the support of the Arts Council, we will be able to do a lot more in the future."

The Empire's success story is a far cry from the problems that surround its nearest neighbour, Durham's £14m Gala Theatre. Funded mainly by a lottery grant, it was hailed as a major arts venue for the North-East.

Less than two years after opening the Gala is running up large losses, put at £446,000 for the first seven months of this financial year, on the back of a deficit of more than £900,000 from its first year of operation.

The irony of its crisis after so much funding, compared to the Empire's struggle to attract cash is not lost on Mr Wiggins.

"It would be easy to be smug about it, but we don't want to see the Gala fail," he said.

"If it is bringing quality shows to the region, that can only be a good thing.

"It is far enough away for us to be comfortable with it and we don't see it as competition."