Theatre revamp making a huge difference at Springwood High School in King’s Lynn

Tiered seating and state-of-the-art lighting have helped to create a “world-class” theatre facility in a Lynn school.

With the historic St George’s Guildhall closed for refurbishment, Springwood High School has stepped up to offer its newly improved facilities to performers in the area - thanks to funding from West Norfolk Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

Both the drama studio and Peter Hopkins Hall at the school have benefited from extensive makeovers, which included the installation of new, state-of-the-art lighting costing more than £80,000, to bring the performance spaces up to the standard of the town’s theatres.

“The new lighting has been funded by the borough council’s Community Infrastructure Levy, with support from the school’s PTFA,” Matt Austin, art technician at Springwood, said.

“The total spend, including the school’s contribution, was £82,000 all told, with £70,000 of that coming from CIL.

“This provided all-new, high-spec, LED lighting for both of the main performance halls, as well as works to the electrical infrastructure of both halls to facilitate the use of those lights.

“The lighting costs to the school will be reduced in total between five and ten-fold, with the drastically reduced bills for electricity, maintenance, and consumables that LED brings over tungsten lighting.

“In addition, audiences will be far more comfortable than when sharing a room with hot, tungsten lights, and the quality of the lighting will be on a par with the town’s theatres.”

The upgraded facilities have already attracted performers from the community, with the King’s Lynn Players recently staging a production in the Springwood drama studio.

“We staged King’s Lynn Players’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which was the first use of our new lighting,” Mr Austin added.

“They were the first local dramatics society to benefit from the newly refitted space.

“Others are set to follow, as Springwood offers to fill the gap left by the Guildhall’s absence over the next few years.

“Including our own events, we have battle of the bands, a dance show after Easter, several concerts (including our outdoor festival), a school play, a fashion show, a KLODS play (King’s Lynn Operatic and Dramatic Society), an independent panto from local entrepreneur Jordan Winn, and we welcome in 2026 with our production of Les Miserables.”

Other improvements include refurbishment of the retractable seating in the drama studio, along with the installation of similar seating in the Peter Hopkins Hall.

“The school has long sought to bring the local community together through performance, be it with music, drama, dance, even fashion shows,” Mr Austin, who planned and oversaw the work on both venues, said.

“Equipment deficiencies had been laid bare, and, as a result, demands had spiraled. Covering these costs was no longer possible within the school budget, and the school’s involvement in the community would have suffered as things were scaled back.

“This fresh investment means we can now continue to offer that support, even extending it.

“Without an affordable venue like Springwood, and with the town struggling generally for venues, the entertainment available to the community, and the opportunities to perform, could dwindle.

“As a performing arts status school, this outlet for creativity has always been at the forefront of what we do.”

Peter Cuss, head of the arts faculty at the school, said: “It has given us longevity for the future. It means we can get more people in our main hall to see the stage with tiered seating.

“The tier system is going to make a massive impact - that is being installed over the summer.

“Our drama students certainly know about the impact of the lighting side of it.”