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A LANDMARK theatre shut for two years for a multi-million pound makeover could soon be staging performances.

Building work at the Mitchell Memorial Youth Arts Theatre, which closed in May 2009, is expected to be completed within the next two months.

The �4.1 million project has involved the creation of new dressing rooms, a revamped backstage area, lifts, roof terraces, function rooms, a dance studio with sprung floor and a new cafe bar extension.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is organising a "modest" ceremony on March 23 to mark the completion of the original refurbishments, and the handing over of the running of the building to the Mitchell Memorial Youth Arts Centre Trust Ltd.

The ceremony will give those involved with the project the chance to take a look around the building.

Once in ownership of the venue, the trust will stage its own official opening on a larger scale sometime before the end of April, although plans have not yet been finalised.

Work on the cafe bar extension is expected to be complete around March 28.

The theatre could start putting on its first shows by in the early summer.

Members of the city council's Mitchell Memorial Youth Arts Committee met yesterday to discuss the project.

John Holmes, cultural development manager for the authority, said: "The actual work on the building will be finished by March 23, but it will take a couple of weeks after that to put all of the equipment and fittings in.

"We are looking at having a modest ceremony to mark the handing over on March 23, with possibly one or two local brass bands performing.

"Once the trust is running the building, there will be a much bigger ceremony."

The project has been jointly funded by the council, the Big Lottery Fund and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

The original construction budget was �3.5 million, and the cafe extension has cost an extra �600,000.

Non-Aligned councillor Alan Rigby, who is a member of the committee, said: "This project has been a good news story all the way through from the start.

"It has been well supported throughout and it is the only thing I can think of in my four years as a councillor that everyone has agreed on.

"The work which has been carried out has been fantastic and I can see this venue becoming a listed building in the future."

Fred Hughes, chairman of trustees, said when finished, the venue could be a valuable asset to the city.

He said: "This building is not just a theatre, but a place for the whole community with conference suites, a bar and cafe, lecture rooms and a spectacular dance studio. As soon as we take control of the building we can start to look at putting on a programme of events for the whole community."