The spotlight shone on Shrewsbury as the Earl of Wessex took to the stage of the new £28 million Theatre Severn to officially open the landmark building.
As well as a guided tour of the venue, Prince Edward was also shown around a new £17 million, state-of-the-art educational campus in Monkmoor.
Hundreds of people waited to catch a glimpse of the royal as he met pupils and staff at the campus which houses Severndale Special School, Wilfred Owen Primary School, Poppies nursery and multi-agency community support teams.
Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough’s cultural services manager Lezley Picton welcomed the Earl to the theatre and introduced him to staff, as well as Sir Timothy West, and Melanie Nakhla of All Angels, who were performing in the opening production of Romany Wood.
The Earl watched 15 minutes of the Shropshire-inspired show along with 600 invited guests in the main auditorium. During the interval, he was invited on stage to unveil a plaque and later was presented with teddy bears for his children James and Louise by Shrewsbury girl Sophie Foxley, 10, who has battled with leukaemia.
The Earl, a keen supporter of the arts, said his son, Viscount Severn, would be delighted to have a theatre named after him.
“Congratulations to everybody who has brought this project to life,” he said. “It’s up to the people of Shropshire to make the most of it and I wish you all the best of luck.”
Peter Nutting, leader of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, said the theatre was a long-term dream for the borough council. “As a council we have just six days left to go and will leave this as a legacy to Shropshire Council,” he said.