Actors, directors and critics alike are all agreed – Curve is simply marvellous, darling.

As the theatre gets set to open to the public, luvvies from around the country have been lavishing praise on the venue.

Actor and director Kenneth Branagh said: "I am full of admiration for the new Leicester theatre, Curve, which is an exciting and innovative building.

"I'm sure it will prove inspirational to all those who are lucky enough to work there and I wish Leicester Theatre Trust every success in the new space."

Actor Andy Nyman, who grew up in Leicester and recently starred in Dead Set, on E4, said: "I really hope Curve's a success.

"Leicester has always been a bit of a poor relation to Nottingham and Curve could help change that.

"I'm going to get tickets for Pillowman. I saw it in London and it was very good. It will be a great experience to see it in Leicester's new theatre."

Actress and singer Sharon D Clarke, who starred in the BBC's Holby City and is singing in the theatre's opening show, Lift Off, said: "It's a fantastic theatre.

"I've had a tour behind the scenes and it's wonderful. Apparently, I was the first person to sing on the stage. I wanted to hear what it sounded like. The acoustics were phenomenal."

Sharon said she performed at the Haymarket theatre in the 1990s.

"Having been a part of the old Haymarket theatre, I feel honoured to be part of the team that's celebrating the opening of the theatre," she said.

Critics have also been falling over themselves to compliment the theatre.

Alfred Hickling, writing in the Guardian, said: "Curve is not just the most innovative new performance centre to be built in Britain, but could be one of the most revolutionary theatre spaces in the world. There have been inside-out buildings before – the Pompidou embodies most people's idea of a structure which exposes its inner workings to the world – but no one has applied the concept so comprehensively to a theatre."

Stephen Bayley, writing in the Observer, said: "A bold architectural concept, its 24-metre-high louvred glass facade swooshes with bravado to establish an elegantly forceful presence.

"Curve is a fine, handsome and worthwhile thing – Leicester's best building since James Stirling's University Engineering Tower."

From Tuesday to Sunday, November 16, there will be a series of opening shows, Lift-Off, featuring circus, gymnastic and musical performances. The official opening is next Saturday.

The first production, Simply Cinderella, starts on December 4.