The Penny Theatre on Northgate in Canterbury closed on Easter Monday to make way for an investment of £200,000 which will see the pub return to its former glory as showcase for some of the best music around.

Craig Coppen, the manager of the Penny Theatre and his team will be hosting a celebratory party open to the public from 8pm on Thursday 19th April where customers can get a glimpse of the fresh new look, along with sampling the new food and drink menu. To delight and entertain guests, the pub will host an array of entertainment including a magician and a balloon sculptor.

On Friday 20th April from 8pm, the Penny Theatre will be playing host to local bands including High Tide, Project Plenty, Black 1, and the White Tings.

Speaking about the refurbishment, Craig Coppen manager of the Penny Theatre said: “I’ve been managing the Penny Theatre for about two years now and I still get lots of our customers saying how the pub used to host some great British bands such as Supergrass, Skunk Anansie and Radiohead. The team and I thought the refurbishment would be the perfect opportunity to bring some of that rich music heritage back to the Penny Theatre.

“We’ll be looking to source some of the best bands around from local talent to those further afield so if you’re in a band and fancy playing at the Penny Theatre, get in touch. Our aim is to make Friday nights famous for live music.

“The refurbishment will see the introduction of a state of the art sound and lighting system to ensure that the music is second to none and that the lights create a great atmosphere – we’ll also be updating the stage area to cater for all the band equipment and of course, the band. The building itself will also be updated and refreshed so it will be great to see what a difference the refurbishment will make.”