The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, north frontage and car-park.

The first Shakespeare Memorial theatre complex, pictured about 1885

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, seen from across the river Avon. Sept 2006, before extensive re-building work begins.

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, summer 2006

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) is a large theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the British playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is located in the town of, Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace - in the English Midlands, beside the River Avon. It is closed and undergoing major structural changes until 2010.

[edit] History

The modern theatre was opened on April 23, 1932, rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (opened April 19, 1879) on March 6, 1926. The architect was Elisabeth Scott, so the theatre became the first important work erected in this country from the designs of a woman architect.^[1] It is now managed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and was renamed Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1961.

[edit] Structure

[edit] Old structure

The theatre has a proscenium-arch stage, and a seating capacity of about 1500 people, on three tiers (stalls, circle and balcony, with additional side balconies). Entrance to the balcony is via a separate door. The theatre has several notable Art Deco features, including the staircase and corridors at either side of the auditorium. It is a Grade II* listed building.^[2]

The Swan Theatre and the RST (more commonly known as the Main House) share a back dock and it is possible to walk from one stage to another.

The Theatre is on the western bank of the River Avon, and the bar/restaurant balcony overlooks the river.

[edit] Redevelopment

The Royal Shakespeare Company will transform their main theatre into a modern day Shakespeare theatre. The renovations will include a thrust stage auditorium able to seat over 1,030 audience members, expanding and renovating public areas, including a new rooftop café and restaurant, and improving backstage conditions for the actors and crew. The new theatre will also be more accessible to people with disabilities, and offer a more comfortable theatre experience.

The theatre will be a “one-room” theatre, which will allow the actors and the audience to share the same space, as they did when Shakespeare’s plays were first produced. The stage will reach out into the audience, who will be seated on three sides of it. This one-room theatre will create a more traditional Shakespearean performance area, allowing the audience to draw closer to the actors and creating a more personal theatre experience.

The funding for the project has come from many different sources including; private pledges, the Arts Council of England, and the regional development agency Arts Advantage West Midlands. The project has already reached over a total of 100 million pounds in cost and has also drawn in financial support from RSC America and its own board members.^[3]

Plans to redevelop the theatre were finalised and work commenced in 2007, with a scheduled completion date of 2010. The architects for the scheme are Rab and Denise Bennetts of Bennetts Associates^[4] and the engineers are Buro Happold.

Meanwhile performances have been transferred to the Courtyard Theatre a temporary structure with an interior matching the future RST auditorium, and which has been built attached to, and temporarily replacing, The Other Place.

The redevelopment plans had a controversial ride, and as long ago as 2002, HOOT (Hands Off Our Theatre) was working to oppose the scheme when it seemed that the theatre's exterior would be demolished. However, this part of the plan has since been altered.

[edit] Facilities

The theatre had a bar, restaurant (not wheelchair accessible), and a gift shop.

[edit] References

1. ^ Pringle, p.29
2. ^ Images of England — details from listed building database (366450) - Grade II*
3. ^ RSC Transformation: The Project
4. ^ Royal Shakespeare Company : Press releases

[edit] External links

• Royal Shakespeare Company homepage
• Old postcard views of the original Memorial Theatre, including pictures of the 1926 fire
• Old postcard views of the "New" Theatre
• ZPU Journal.ru - Bartoshevich Aleksey V. Stratford Theatre of Our Time: Is Shakespeare for Tourists?

Coordinates: 52°11′26″N 1°42′14″W / 52.1905°N 1.7039°W / 52.1905; -1.7039