As refurbishments go, it’s not immediately obvious where the money has gone.

Spending £22m would, you would surmise, ensure a wow factor new look.

Audiences then attending this year’s Chichester Festival might be forgiven for wondering where most of the money has been spent after passing through an obviously re-vamped and much improved foyer.

Indeed, even inside the auditorium itself it is not immediately apparent where the funds have been lavished. The classic original Grade 2 listed concrete structure remains in place along with its famous ‘pointed’ staging area.

But that, its creators would say, is the point. The aim of the year-long project, which has seen the building shut for a whole season, was never to re-build a new theatre, but ensure the present 51-year-old acclaimed structure lasts at least another half century.

The ‘wow’ factor is there, however, assures the team behind the refurbishment. As always it will manifest itself on stage.

Daily Echo:

The bulk of the £22m raised, some from the Arts Council much from local fund-raising, has gone on major behind the scenes work to upgrade and enhance the capability of the theatre to stage major production.

A larger scene dock and increase in auditorium rake – the area above the audience heads – is hardly eye-catching headline material, yet such measures and the creation of an orchestra pit will enable the theatre to be bolder, more imaginative and have an even greater creative reach than before. Not an insubstantial boast for a venue that regularly now sends its productions to the West End (Singing in the Rain, Sweeny Todd, Love Story).

“To give an example we can now, if we wished, flood the whole stage area and set a production in a swimming pool,” commented Artistic Director Jonathan Church at the official press launch of the theatre’s new developments, the RENEW project.

Daily Echo:

“The RENEW project feels that it’s recaptured that moment when the theatre was first built, in a fresh and equally inspiring way. Yet again this city and region has responded and helped in so many ways, sometimes with money, sometimes with time and effort, so it’s been very, very special.

“It’s going to be tremendously exciting to open the Theatre with Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, nearly 50 years after the premieres of The Royal Hunt of the Sun and Black Comedy, and particularly special for Peter to be with us to celebrate.”

Executive director, Alan Finch added: “The reopening of our theatre just 21 months after its demolition began is the culmination of an experience that has been exciting, memorable and at times extremely challenging! It’s an incredible achievement to have reopened the building on time, having met our fundraising target. I am immensely proud of the hard work undertaken by our architects, building team and contractors, Theatre staff and our campaign committee.

Daily Echo:

For the audience the on-stage enhancement aside, the provision of 100 extra seats and sound-proofing to deaden the infamous rain-on-the-roof patter the theatre is known for, will be fairly obvious spots. For actors and theatre staff, new changing rooms, Green Room, and a whole suite of office space enhance their facilities.

Much improved environmentally friendly functions to the building, including the use of ground water taken from beneath adjacent parkland to heat the theatre, will tick green boxes and lower running costs.

And one of the most pleasing results of the project is the way in which the theatre is being returned to its original concept of a stage surrounded by parkland through the use of improved groundwork.

An original concept by Lawrence Olivier, the Chichester Festival has in half a century gone from a seasonal audience of some 8,000 to over 300,000 in 2012. Now a theatre that structurally could not have been expected to last the five decades it has, is ready to face its next half a century.