Courtyard Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Courtyard Theatre is a temporary 1,048 seat thrust stage
theatre building in Stratford-upon-Avon
, England
. Designed by Ian Ritchie Architects
and built in 11 months, it opened in August 2006 to host performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company
(RSC) while its Royal Shakespeare
and Swan Theatres
were closed for redevelopment between 2007 and 2010 as part of a £112.8 million transformation project.
Built on the site of the RSC’s studio theatre, The Other Place
(TOP), The Courtyard Theatre was created as a full-sized working prototype for the design of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s new 1040+ seat auditorium and provided an opportunity to gain experience relating to sightlines, acoustics, lighting and comfort of seats. The Courtyard Theatre’s awards include the National and Regional RIBA Award for Architecture 2007 and the Stratford-on-Avon Council Celebration of Excellence 2007 Design Award.
The Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres re-opened on 24 November 2010, with the first full Shakespeare performances beginning in February 2011, with the last performance in The Courtyard Theatre, Matilda, A Musical, taking place in January 2010. Temporary planning permission for The Courtyard Theatre is in place until the end of 2012 and it will be in use for the World Shakespeare Festival as part of the Cultural Olympiad in 2012.
Thrust stage
In theatre, a thrust stage is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its up stage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility of a backstage area...
theatre building in Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Designed by Ian Ritchie Architects
Ian Ritchie Architects
Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd is a leading British architectural practice, founded in London in 1981 by Ian Ritchie. Ritchie also co-founded the engineering firm Rice Francis Ritchie with Peter Rice and Martin Francis in Paris in 1981.-Recognition:...
and built in 11 months, it opened in August 2006 to host performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
(RSC) while its Royal Shakespeare
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a 1,040+ seat thrust stage 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...
and Swan Theatres
Swan Theatre (Stratford)
The Swan Theatre is a theatre belonging to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is built on to the side of the larger Royal Shakespeare Theatre, occupying the Victorian Gothic structure that formerly housed the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre that preceded the RST but was...
were closed for redevelopment between 2007 and 2010 as part of a £112.8 million transformation project.
Built on the site of the RSC’s studio theatre, The Other Place
The Other Place (theatre)
The Other Place was a black box theatre on Southern Lane, near to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It was owned and operated by the Royal Shakespeare Company....
(TOP), The Courtyard Theatre was created as a full-sized working prototype for the design of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s new 1040+ seat auditorium and provided an opportunity to gain experience relating to sightlines, acoustics, lighting and comfort of seats. The Courtyard Theatre’s awards include the National and Regional RIBA Award for Architecture 2007 and the Stratford-on-Avon Council Celebration of Excellence 2007 Design Award.
The Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres re-opened on 24 November 2010, with the first full Shakespeare performances beginning in February 2011, with the last performance in The Courtyard Theatre, Matilda, A Musical, taking place in January 2010. Temporary planning permission for The Courtyard Theatre is in place until the end of 2012 and it will be in use for the World Shakespeare Festival as part of the Cultural Olympiad in 2012.