Like a butterfly emerging from a steel chrysalis, a new and improved Globe Theatre is finally taking shape.
After a major fundraising effort last year to reach a $500,000 target, the Friends of the Globe Theatre contracted Amalgamated Builders Ltd (ABL) to complete the repair and redevelopment of the London St theatre. Construction work began in late April and is on track for completion in October.
The Star took a tour of the site this week with Friends of the Globe Theatre committee member Keith Scott, who said the project had been proven to be ''absolutely essential''.
''The first job was to see what lay under the foyer and, when they pulled up the path to take a look, they discovered all the joists under the floor were completely rotten,'' Mr Scott said.
The builders had replaced the joists, stabilised the wall, and raised and levelled the pathway alongside the theatre so water would no longer seep in.
The garden around the Globe Theatre entrance had been cleared away, revealing much more of the house, and would hopefully allow for parking spaces once the redevelopment was complete, Mr Scott said.
''The space has really opened up already and more of the vegetation will go - so it won't be the `secret theatre' any more,'' he said.
Inside the theatre, ABL builders are tackling the largest problem, the source of the leaks that have plagued the theatre for years - the octagonal ceiling and the join between the theatre and the house.
Built in the 1960s as part of an extension to the historic William Mason house owned by Globe Theatre founders Rosalie and Patrick Carey, the theatre has long had an issue with the condition of its roof.
''A few of the timbers were OK, but most of the octagonal roof has been replaced,'' Mr Scott said.
''It looks quite spectacular as it is, so we are going to make it more of a feature of the theatre.''
There was also now an extra roof over the stage, which was where most of the water was coming in, he said.
''Once the builders got in there, we could see it was worse than we had originally thought - this work really had to be done.''
The reconstruction of the roof, and the addition of waterproof cladding from Viking Roofspec - generously supplied at cost - would fix the leaks, and the addition of insulation would make the theatre much warmer and more comfortable for patrons, he said.
Upstairs, the former wardrobe room had been emptied out and had emerged as an attractive space,
once its badly rotted bay window was rebuilt. It would become a rehearsal and meeting space.
The construction work, including earthquake strengthening, is on track to be completed by October, when the Friends of the Globe Theatre plan to move in to do painting and other cosmetic work.
''We want people to see a real difference, as well as feeling that the theatre is much warmer,'' Mr Scott said.
However, an additional cost of $40,000 has arisen, due to the requirement to make the theatre wheelchair accessible, so fundraising is under way once more.
