Friday 20th May

We gathered in front of the entrance to Leeds Grand Theatre for a 'behind-the-scenes' tour.

The first thing we were told was that when this theatre was refurbished in 2006 the walls were covered in thick pink plaster which hid these original ornate Victorian tiles.

The stained glass in the dress-circle bar is also original.

We were taken onto the stage which is one of the largest in the country. There are 1500 seats but many artists have commented on the feeling of connection with an audience here.

We were shown the new lorry lift by which scenery, lighting and props can be delivered to stage level which is two floors above the street outside. During performances the scenery and backdrops used to be hauled up and down by hand but this is now controlled by state of the art computer technology.