Plymouth has had a Theatre Royal ever since George III and his family took in a show at the Theatre Frankfort-Gate in 1789, but the current building was opened in 1982. The Lyric is the main stage, and has a uniquely adjustable ceiling which means that the 1315-seat auditorium can be compressed into a more intimate 787-seat space. The Drum is the theatre's new writing stage and has helped the theatre become one of the best-attended regional theatres in the UK. In 2013, the Theatre underwent a £7m regeneration project, opening with a new front-of-house area and a community performance space, the Lab. Outside stands a 23ft high sculpture of a female form, the Messenger, by Joseph Hillier which was fabricated at Castle Fine Arts foundry.