Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Built in 1865 by architect C. J. Phipps, Theatre Royal was extremely remodeled in 1897 by Frank Matcham, but it retained a reputation for discomfort among performers and audiences. And, by the 1970s, it was in a sad state of disrepair, needing extensive technical modernization and decorative restoration work.
Our renovation work in 1978 effectively created a new 1,186 seat theatre within an existing shell. The renovation and reconstruction of this historic theatre included a new stage house, backstage and front-of-house. This renovation was a seminal experience in Theatre Projects’ development, that opened the way to a new appreciation of classic principles of theatre design: intimacy and “papering the walls with people.” We were also the theatre consultant for phase two of this development—the new 2,300-seat Royal Concert Hall.
