Director Sir Peter Hall returned to the Rose Theatre this week to help friends and supporters celebrate its fourth birthday.

About 80 people, including his successor Stephen Unwin and new chief executive Robert O’Dowd, gathered on Monday evening, January 16, four years after it opened.

Mr Unwin said: “On our fourth birthday the Rose is far stronger than we’ve ever been before.”

Last week Mr O’Dowd told the Surrey Comet the right mix of plays and touring of successful productions could attract more people and make more money for the publicly subsidised theatre.