ACTOR Ewan McGregor has backed a campaign to help restore the historic venue where he first took to the stage.
McGregor got his first big break at Perth Theatre in 1987 after leaving school at age 16, and became a stagehand.
The Crieff-born star said he had a troubled adolescence and was dogged by lingering bouts of depression during his attendance at the fee-paying Morrison's Academy.
However the 44-year-old credits his job at the venue for lifting him out of depression to set him on his path to stardom.
He said: "The week I decided to leave school, the theatre needed extras for A Passage to India, so I was in," adding, "I feel like my life changed that first day I walked into Perth Theatre.
"It was the best thing that happened to me. It set me on my way."
After a six-month stint with the theatre, he then went on to study acting at Kirkcaldy College and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and has since starred in blockbusters such as Moulin Rouge, Trainspotting and the Star Wars franchise.
Now he has put his weight behind the drive to restore the 115-year-old theatre and become an ambassador of the Transform Perth Theatre project.
The city centre venue closed last year to allow for the makeover, which aims to restore and redevelop the B-listed building for use in 2017.
The Edwardian auditorium will be restored to its former glory, with the orchestra pit and 'gods' to be reinstated alongside the addition of a new 200-seat studio theatre.
The redevelopment has already had a pledge £15.1 million from project partners Perth & Kinross Council, Creative Scotland, The Gannochy Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), and other supporters.
But Horsecross Arts, who are behind the redevelopment, has said that the total price of the project had risen to £16.6 million, and an extra £1.5 million was needed for its completion.
To fill the gap, they aim to continue fundraising from various trusts and foundations, Scottish and local businesses as well as members of the public.
A spokesman for the theatre said: "We are extremely proud and delighted to have Ewan McGregor on board as a project ambassador."
McGregor added: "This exciting venture is an investment in our future."
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