THE curtain was raised at The Regal in Tenbury to give people in the town a chance to see what happens out of sight at the iconic venue.

An open day provided an opportunity to go on stage and behind the scenes as well as to see the work of the projectionist.

Those who took the tour were also able to see how the tickets are booked.

Although it is owned by Tenbury Town Council, the Regal has been run by a trust of specialists operating under a long lease. This followed the reopening of the Regal following a £670,000 refurbishment, largely paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

To keep the Regal running successfully depends upon a small army of volunteers taking on all kinds of different roles.

Part of the purpose of the open day was to encourage people to consider supporting the Regal by taking on some of the jobs that are available.

As well as cinema and live shows, there have been a number of innovations including a group for young people interested in theatre, an amateur theatre group and an annual pantomime in which professional and amateur actors perform together.