Give pounds to spend a penny and help The Kings Theatre upgrade its toilets

The four stars, who are all patrons of the Edwardian venue in Albert Road, Southsea, are backing the campaign dubbed ‘Give pounds to spend a penny’.

Renovating and expanding the dress circle’s cramped and outdated toilets is the first part of the planned multi-million pound Big Project to make the venue fit for decades to come.

Trustee Ian Pratt said: ‘Edwardians did not place much importance on toilets. Those that were to be found in a theatre such as the Kings were small, cramped and without adequate plumbing. Obviously we have kept up with the times by having running water and flushing toilets, but both we and our audiences are desperate for new facilities.’

After inviting architects and builders to investigate and draw up plans for the project, the theatre has secured half the amount needed for the work that is scheduled to start this summer.

‘We are swapping the ladies and the gents round to give more room for new cubicles where they are needed and are intent on using fixtures and fittings that are in keeping with the Edwardian style,’ added Mr Pratt.

To raise the £15,000 needed to complete the project, the theatre is now embarking on its first online campaign, which has been supported and overseen by a crowdfunding expert from the University of Portsmouth Phd student Jann Westermann. We’re very grateful for Jann’s time and the university’s support as toilets were always going to be a tricky subject for our first ever campaign,’ said marketing manager, Kelly Haswell. ‘However, this is a subject that features regularly in our feedback and will benefit everyone.

‘We hope that Pounds for Pennies brings an element of humour.’

People who make donations at crowdfunder.co.uk/give-pounds-to-spend-a-penny are being offered a host of treats from the theatre, ranging from free drinks to tickets for exclusive historic tours of the theatre or a party to meet the cast of this year’s pantomime.

See the video here