One of Northern Ireland's best known attractions is unrecognisable as renovation work continues at the site.
As construction workers moved into the Grand Opera House on Great Victoria Street, the venue has been entirely stripped back.
The famous lights have been switched off and the seats have been taken away.
Where famous faces once graced the stage, yesterday there stood teams of builders ready to renovate the much-loved theatre.
The work will see the auditorium’s decorative paint and plasterwork repaired and restored, and seating, carpets, curtains and drapes replaced.
In addition, technical infrastructure will be upgraded, as will customer facilities including those for customers with access needs.
The design of the foyer and public spaces will be improved and a bar will be installed in the glass extension overhanging Great Victoria Street.
A first ever permanent exhibition celebrating the many famous people who have appeared on stage at the Grand Opera House, including Laurel and Hardy, will be created.
The £12.2 million project, which has been five years in the planning, is expected to last 10 months and to be completed ahead of the theatre’s 125th birthday in December.
Designed by Victorian theatre architect, Frank Matcham, the Grand Opera House has welcomed a host of talent on to its stage over the years including Charlie Chaplin, Laurence Olivier, Vera Lynn and Luciano Pavarotti.
Rescued from demolition in the mid-1970s, restored and reopened in 1980, the Grand Opera House was the first building in Belfast to attain grade-A listed status and is the only remaining Victorian Theatre in Northern Ireland.
