THE Empire Theatre in Consett finally re-opens its doors this weekend after a £700,000 overhaul.

The theatre - one of the region's oldest - is back in business from this Friday, after a nine-month closure for refurbishment that was dogged with delays.

The popular venue was due to re-open in January, but ran into delays after workers uncovered rising damp in the walls.

Nick Wiggins, theatre manager, said: "I am very relieved that it is all over. It has been a bit of a battle, but we are there now."

The building has been transformed from a run-down, tired looking, old picture house into a more stylish arts venue, with a focus on theatre and cinema.

It is the oldest traditional theatre in County Durham and boasts the largest cinema screen in the region.

The refurbishment includes a downstairs bar and lounge, 514 new seats with improved leg room, a state-of-the-art sound system and new stage lighting, including 50 lanterns.

The film projector has been upgraded, the bar made more spacious and the foyer is six times bigger than before. There are also more toilets and the building is fully accessible to the disabled.

"We have kept all the Empire's best features, such as the size of the auditorium and its closeness to the stage, but everything else has been improved," said Mr Wiggins.

He expects one of the big early draws to be the return of the Moscow Ballet La Classique, performing Don Quixote for one night only, on March 31. It will be the third time the company will have visited Consett and the last two performances were sell-outs.

The theatre is holding an open day on Saturday, when it will be screening free movies.

The cinema will be showing the children's hit cartoon, the Wild Thornberrys - the Movie, at 10.30am and 2pm. Adults can enjoy comedy action at 6pm and 8.30pm, with the Jackie Chan blockbuster, Shanghai Knights.

For tickets, contact the Empire box office on (01207) 218171 or the Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley on (01207) 218899.