I recently got interested in how theatre companies choose their names, and the more I thought about it the more I realised that a lot of companies were named after Shakespeare quotes. So I decided to try to count how many there were. It was, at first glance, a surprisingly high number - roughly 30%. …
Continue reading What’s in a name? Why are so many theatre companies named after Shakespeare quotes?
You may not have noticed, but the world is getting more honest. Well, the world of design, at least, is getting more honest. Theatre is getting more honest. Architecture is getting more honest. Let me give you some evidence. Start with architecture. Look at many buildings completed in the last ten years and you'll notice …
Continue reading Honesty is the best policy in theatre design
On 15th July I hosted the sixth Coffee with Arup discussion. Coffee with Arup is a series of informal chats in which we catch up with our collaborators and peers from the worlds of arts, culture, entertainment, leisure and sport over a cup of virtual coffee - and for this installment I wanted to hear …
It's funny how, sometimes, the same new problem pops up at the same time in completely unrelated projects. I was recently working on a design for an outdoor venue for a standing audience. At the same time I was reviewing the crowd barrier arrangement in an indoor venue. And for a third project I was …
Just as travelling is one of the most carbon-intensive aspects of life, the travel and transport associated with touring shows is a major contributor to the carbon footprint of the performing arts industries. So when I recently came across an AI tool which was used by North America 2026 in their successful bid for the …
Continue reading Using AI to reduce the carbon footprint of touring
The Bridge Theatre Since opening in October 2017 The Bridge has hosted seven productions by the new London Theatre Company, the latest being a new stage adaptation of Harriet Lane's book Alys, Always. The book (I understand from synopses although - disclaimer - I've not read it) tells the story of Frances the Newspaper Sub-Editor who, caught …
I'm currently helping to design a theatre in Knowsley, near Liverpool. It's a reconstruction of one of the earliest-recorded indoor theatres in the UK, the 16th-17th century Cockpit-In-Court. The working title is Shakespeare North and it's a fascinating project. I've enjoyed learning about what we know (answer: very little) and what we need to speculate …
Continue reading What’s the point in Reconstructed Theatres?
I've just come back from ITEAC 2018 - a conference which runs every four years exploring current trends in theatre building design. Here's my favourite (or most future-useful) quotes while they're fresh in my mind. [These are all paraphrased via my scribbled notes. Happy to correct if I have misquoted.] "In the cinema you need …
What would the ideal theatre look like? As designers of venue buildings it is a question we often ask ourselves. We ask ourselves the big questions, like how would an ideal building engage with the local community and how would foyers help with the visitor experience. And more than this, we spend time making technical …
I have a sore neck. It pains me to say this (figuratively - although probably literally too if I was talking to you out loud). It pains me to say this because my ailment is the result of uncomfortable theatre seating, and I've always harboured secret disdain for anyone who takes too much interest in …
Continue reading Should theatre seating ever be comfortable?
