Theatres in Manchester

http://www.manchester.com/guidebook/culture/theatresin.html


Manchester Opera House



Originally named the New Theatre which was opened Boxing Day 1912, however the theatre struggled, between 1916 and 1920 Sir Thomas Beecham performed and in his honour they named the theatre The Opera House.

The building has had many changes it survived the Second World War, and has functioned as a cinema as well as a bingo hall.

In 1984 it became a theatre and in 2003 it underwent a refurbishment which still kept it’s original colour scheme of green and gold.

The interiors of the building are very classical with the olive green and gold. With the name  of the building i think that the interiors are very inkeeping. I believe it is important to be respectful to the history of the building and not only create interiors that attracts people to the building but they must also enhance it's features.


http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/PalaceTheatreManchester.htm

The Palace Theatre was built in 1891 as the Manchester Palace of Varieties. It was redecorated and altered in 1896, in 1913 the auditorium was reconstructed and in 1953 the theatre was altered again and the exterior was refaced.


In 1979 the theatre was in danger of closure with the Opera House but the theatre was saved and it became Manchester’s touring house which led to extensive refurbishment. It became Manchester Palace Theatre when Raymond Slater bought the building, land was bought to the rear of the theatre in order to enlarge the stage.


The auditorium is built on three levels, Stalls, and two Balcony’s with a capacity of 2000, and the Theatre is Grade II listed.

The interiors of the building are very traditional like most of the theatres, with the use of red and gold, creating a very luxurious feel to the theatre. With the history of this building it is vital that the design is both inviting as well as functional so that it benefits both the customers as well as the staff.




http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/page.aspx?page=735

The Royal Exchange Theatre was found in 1976 within the old Cotton Exchange in Manchester, however in 1996 the IRA bombing in Manchester led to extensive damage of the theatre.

Repairs cost over £30 million which took over two years to complete. During the repair for the theatre the rebuild allowed for a second performance space known as the studio. They also created the bookshop, craft shop, restaurant, bars and corporate rooms. This meant that the theatres workshops, rehearsal rooms and costumes were moved to Swan Street.

The theatre was eventually re-opened in November 1998.

The Royal Exchange Theatre has been described “as the most exciting architectural achievements in the country” with the theatre situated in the former cotton exchange.

The theatre is a seven-sided steel and glass module which sits within the Great Hall of the Royal Exchange Theatre. It is theatre in the round where the stage is surrounded on all sides as well as above by seating.

It can seat up to 700 people on three levels making it the largest in the round theatre in Britain. Ground level can seat 400 in a ranked configuration, above are two galleries each seating 150 in two rows.

The Studio is a warm and flexible performance space with a capacity of 120 people, with its own foyer and bar. The Studio space can be enlarged due to the sliding walls which allows for the foyer to be at one end and the technical facility at the other. The space is suitable for touring theatre companies as well as performances suited for young people.

The Exchange Suite is sophisticated and intimate for working lunches, business meetings etc. with a private double-height reception and bar with a staircase leading to the original Manchester Exchange boardroom.

The Front Room overlooks St Ann’s Square and the Great Hall of the Royal Exchange providing stunning views of the theatre, it is self-contained with its own toilets and bar.

I believe that the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester will be very helpful to me when doing research as this theatre links old and new from the design of the theatre and it's additional spaces to the history that is contained deeply withiin the building.


All though the new design is modern i think they have linked the space very well, i do feel that they have not taken away from the building.

Theatre's in Salford

http://salfordartstheatre.co.uk/aboutus.aspx


Salford Arts Theatre


Salford's only Independent Theatre.  It was purpose build in 1974 where it was home to The Salford Players, whose famous sons include Robert Powell, Albert Finney and Sir Ben Kingsley.

Their aim is to make live theatre accessible to all. The theatre company encourages local talent for people to showcase their work. Weekly classes are held for all ages for acting, singing and dancing workshops are also held for the holidays and for guest. Many people can get involved through Front of House, Production and Marketing.

The theatre can also be hired

Seats 112 with the option of an extra 12 seats

Dimensions - Proscenium arch width 8m 54cm depth 5m 13 cm

salford arts THEATRE

Kemsing Walk

Off Liverpool St

Salford

M5 4BS

The Lowry

Built in 2000

Very diverse building with three theatre spaces -

1. The Lyric Theatre which is the biggest
2. Quays Theatre for touring companies, comedians, live music etc
3. The Studio is flexible which can be used for workshops, amateur performances and film screenings.

The Lyric Theatre is used for drama, opera and ballet performances as well as for their corporate clients for events such as AGMs, sales conferences and presentations. The theatre can seat up to 1730 people which is fully air conditioned, as well as having the latest audio-visual technology.

This theatre has quite a nice feel which is very fresh and modern. The design has changed from the usual colour scheme of red and gold which has been seen in many of the theatres that i have researched into. The purple / blue provides elegance and a dramatic feel to the theatre.

Quays Theatre

Very Adaptable space which can be used for conferences, fashion shows, presentations etc. The theatre's hydraulic technology allows the seating to be rearranged depending on the event. Can seat up to 440 people

This theatre has used the more traditional colour but due to the technology that has been used within the space it has allowed the theatre to become more contemporary and diverse.

The Studio

The Studio is very versatile, it can be used as a single space for up to 280 people or three smaller conference rooms of varying sizes. When divided Studio 1 can provide a tiered auditorium for up to 150 people.

The studio is fairly basic with it's pink and purple colour scheme. The space has floor to ceiling windows which provides some drama to the space. The studio is very versatile and could be used for many events.

The Conference Theatre

The Lowry Conference Theatre is situated adjacent to the Lowry. The building contains 8 rooms of varying size. The tiered Conference Theatre can hold 100 people  which has built-in audio-visual equipment.

The space feels more formal and less relaxing then the Lowry's other theatres, it is more appropriate for conferences and events.

The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ


Studio Salford

Studio Salford is situated in King's Arms Pub on Bloom street, which promotes in-house independent theatre companies and Salford.

11 Bloom Street, Salford, M3 6AN

Palace Theatre London

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/PalaceTheatre.htm

The Palace Theatre was originally designed in 1891 as the Royal English Opera House and was converted the following year as The Palace Theatre of Varieties due to the stature of the building and it's design. In 1989 the exterior was restored to it's former glory with the interiors being restored in 2004 with very little change.


The building is very striking and with it being in prime location, The Palace Theatre has many architectural features, with the statues and windows that have been created. The building materials add to the design through the colour of the brick in contrast with the stone. It is important for the exterior of the building to have an impact when the visitors arrive to see the selected show. When selecting my building i must bear this in mind.

The interior of the building are a grand reflection of the exterior of the building, you can get a real sense of an atmosphere when you go to watch a performance through the decor. Like other Theatre's the use of red and gold has been highly used to create a feel of luxury.

The New London Theatre

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/NewLondonTheatre.htm
http://www.reallyuseful.com/theatres/new-london-theatre/technical-specifications/


The new London Theatre was designed as part of a complex of buildings inc shops, restaurants etc. The building is situated on a site which has been connected to several entertainment places since the 17th century.

Work on the latest building began in 1971, with the New London being classed as the theatre of the future.The design of the theatre with it's modern technology allowed for varying productions to be showcased in different ways withing hours of each other.


The building has a tremendous amount of technology within it and the building could be a great point of call when i collect more research into the technology that goes into creating a theatre. The mechanisms that allow the theatre to change dramatically could be used for inspiration when it comes to creating my design.

The exterior of the building is very modern with the use of materials as well as the shape of the building. The interior is completely different to the previous theatre's that i have looked at which are seeped in history and character. Athough the new London theatre has so much technology which allows it to be a great place for productions, i do feel that some more sense of history is needed to a Theatre building due to the expectations of going to see a performance.

The London Palladium

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/LondonPalladium.htm


http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/2009-london-palladium

Designed by Frank Matcham, the London Palladium opened on Boxing Day 1910, becoming famous through televison as "Ace Variety Theatre of the World"
The site in which the building stands used to be home to Corinthian Bazaar, Henglers Grand Cirque and National Ice Skating Palace.


The building does stand alone with the face being modified and a sculpture being added by Matcham, the design shows a classic temple frontage with Corintinthian columns. The London Palladium does have a unique architectural design which makes the building so memorable.

The interiors of the building have been restored back to Matcham's original design, the image above shows how grand the auditurium is with the rich gold's and red's. This colour scheme seems to occur throughout many theatre's, do i want to look into the colour scheme's that have been used throughout theatre's and at different periods of time, this maybe very important when it comes to my design.

The Entrance Foyer portrays the feel of the rest of the building with the grand marble stairways, providing a very luxurious feel for it's guests.

Her Majesty's Theatre

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/HerMajestysTheatre.htm


Her Majesty's Theatre has under gone many changes on the site between 1705 and 1896 with the building being destroyed twice through fires, and the third building being demolished. The site for her majesty's theatre therefore has so much history which i feel is incorporated into the building that we see today.

The building is very grand and ornate which is in keeping with the period in which it was designed. Although it is not the original building it still tells a story through it's history. I feel like the building i find should already have a story which i am helping to enhance.

The interiors of the building are very reflective of the feel that a visitor would get when they arrive at Her Majesty's Theatre. A feel of luxury, elegance and sophistication.
The style for the auditorium is Louis XIV, marble columns have been used, with embroidered silk and velvet, providing a real feel of class and just an experience from when you enter the building as you admire it's decor.

Cambridge Theatre Earlham Street

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/CambridgeTheatre.htm

The Cambridge Theatre which opened in 1930's is a corner building built from stone. The building seems quite cold due to it's material yet at the time this basic design was standard.

Similarly to the Adelphi Theatre the building underwent a redesign due to the extensive changes that occured over time. The building has been restored to it's original finery in 30's.

The interiors are relevent of the time period that the building was created in, it is very in keeping that they have restored the interiors so that the viewers can get a true feel for how the building used to be when it was originally opened. The colours of the interiors are quite vibrant and very theatrical.

Adelphi Theatre Strand London

http://www.reallyuseful.com/news/andrew-lloyd-webber-buys-londons-most-famous-theatres/

The Adelphi Theatre under went many changes with four theatre's being situated on the site. Interesting to note the changes that have been made to the building and how the interiors have altered. The building current interiors are art deco based, as i perform this research i will discover the differences and similariteies between the theatres that i look into.

The image clearly shows the art deco feel to the building, and this is evident of the period the final building was designed in. The building was restored in 1993 to it's former glory.

The interiors of this building are screaming art deco, it is nice that the building was restored to showcase the essence of it's design in 1930's. The whole building has incorporated the art deco style which gives a nice throw back to the 30's.

New designs

http://www.lostateminor.com/author/laura-eiersted-snell/page/5/

Great website showcasing new and up and coming designs includes Eco Water Theatre - could be good to look at for research at the possibilities that are available when designing for theatre.

Theatre's at Risk

http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatre-buildings-at-risk


I could research into the theatre's that have become at risk of closure and understand how the design could affect theatre's being closed. Must look at the advantages and disadvantages of the designs of existing theatres, to see how improvements could be made for when i come to design for my building.

Theatre bulings around London

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/london_theatres.htm


 London is a very important area for theatre performances within the UK, it is important to look into the many buildings that have been designed to house the shows for many great actors and actresses. It is vital that the building is both suitable for the viewers as well as the team that will be using the building.


http://www.e-architect.co.uk/theatre_buildings.htm


IMPORTANT THEATRES AROUND THE WORLD