by Roger Kasper

roger.kasper@krnmedia.co.uk

HOLLYWOOD'S Orlando Bloom, Ab Fab's Joanna Lumley, TV chat show host Paul O'Grady and comic Vic Reeves are among the big name stars being lined up for a spectacular gala show to mark the closure of Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre.

The 25-year-old venue was due to close in January after the panto Snow White for a £25 million refit but has been given a two-month reprieve because of delays in finding builders.

It means there will be appearances by Richard E Grant, Ray Davies of the Kinks and country and western legend Billie Jo Spears.

Grant will be in West End success God of Carnage while Davies and Spears host one-night shows.

A version of Brief Encounter, the classic David Lean film, will be staged in the last month and other highlights include comedy Lloyd George Knew My Father, ice show Cirque de Glace, comedian Jimmy Carr and folk singer Richard Thompson.

The demolition men come in April and the new 1,200-seat venue – up 225 on the current site - is planned to open in mid-2011. It will also boast a small 150-seat fringe theatre.

An auction will be held a week after the closure for souvenir hunters.

The final gala show is being staged by panto producer Emily Wood on Sunday, March 22.

She said: "We have started making tentative enquiries about stars. Already the message is coming back that people want to take part. Hopefully it will be a case of who to leave out rather than include.

"The show will be a mix of song, dance, and music. A local dance group will be performing – so it won't just be about big names.

"But we are approaching Orlando Bloom, who went to St Edmund's School in Canterbury and made one of his first appearances at the Marlowe, Joanna Lumley, Paul O'Grady and Vic Reeves who all have strong Kent connections."

Theatre director Mark Everett said: "The change of plan gives us a good opportunity to carry on with our work here.

"I was never comfortable with ending the run with the panto. The gala show will be a much better way to say goodbye."

He added: "Some people are having sleepless nights about the credit crunch but I'm not. The Marlowe project is not about to be hit by disaster on the financial front.

"Canterbury City Council's chief executive Colin Carmichael is confident and says there is no problem so I am confident, too."

The council is providing £13 million of the money with £4 million from Kent County Council. But both councils have had investments frozen in the Icelandic banks collapse; Canterbury was stung for £6 million and the county council for £50 million.

A further £2 million will come from SEEDA – the South-East England Development Agency.

But the public will have to raise the £6 million balance.

Mr Everett said: "This has always been the element of the plan where you need to take a deep breath. This is going to be difficult but our financial advisers tell me it is achievable.

"It may take longer because of the economic situation but a Sheffield University study has found that the current Marlowe is worth £13.5 million a year to the local economy and that figure goes up to £24 million with the new venue. This is therefore not a luxury item in these difficult times."

* The £500,000 panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarf is defying the credit crunch by breaking box office records. Sales are 9,600 ahead of this time last year when punters were forking out for Aladdin, which also starred Stephen Mulhern from Britain's Got Talent.