Promising ” a new theatre experience in the heart of Chester” the Backstage Theatre Bar will be taking over the unit vacated by Annabella of Chester last summer. The women’s clothing store established in 1986 closed in July and the premises has been empty ever since.

A sign in the window says that Backstage will offer ” a cosy hideaway for lovers of the stage, the dramatic , the musical and the wonderfully outrageous.” Musical theatre will be shown on screens with a relaxed “backstage” style atmosphere , “a place for quirky individuals and theatre lovers to gather.”

Backstage will be joining other recent independent additions to Godstall Lane including the second branch of Little Yellow Pig , and Aldous Books.