The Project
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- Timeline showing the three project phases
Phase 1 - The Courtyard Theatre
The first phase of the project was the building of the temporary Courtyard Theatre, on the site of The Other Place studio theatre on Southern Lane.
The theatre, which took only 11 months to complete, is the Company’s main theatre during the transformation of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and surrounding site.
The auditorium for The Courtyard Theatre provides a working prototype for the size and scale of thrust stage auditorium that will be in the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Phase 2 - New Spaces
In order to transform the Royal Shakespeare Theatre it was necessary to create new spaces to house the RSC Nursery, our rehearsal rooms and the staff who previously worked in the theatre. Phase two of the project involved the creation of new rehearsal facilities just outside of the town centre, a new administration hub at Chapel Lane, and a children’s nursery, which was previously housed on the site of the temporary Courtyard Theatre.
Phase 3 - New Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The transformation of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre will marry the best of the past with the RSC’s ambition to create the finest theatre for audiences and artists to enjoy and perform Shakespeare.
At the heart of the project is a new 1,000 seat thrust stage auditorium, where the audience sits on three sides of the action. The distance of the furthest seat from the stage will be reduced from 27 to 15 metres dramatically improving the relationship between the audience and the artists.