Charcoalblue will discuss the design concepts that resulted in this critically acclaimed new performance space for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Andy Hayles, managing director of Charcoalblue says, "The Royal Shakespeare Theatre's transformation project, which was completed last autumn, was a singular development in world theatre. The space embodies a host of new techniques and technologies. The auditorium has been designed, without compromise, to create - in the words of RSC artistic director Michael Boyd - 'the best place in the world to perform Shakespeare'."
Winner of a RIBA Award and shortlisted for the coveted Stirling Prize for Architecture 2011, the theatre was five years in the making (and much longer in the planning). The new auditorium provides a three-dimensional universe; wrap-around seating and a thrust stage that allows for an immediate contact between the audience and players, as well as audience on audience, giving a rich dimension to sound, action and set.
"At last, Stratford-Upon-Avon finally has a theatre worthy of Shakespeare's name," said the Guardian's Jonathan Glancey, when it opened.
Gavin Owen, senior consultant at Charcoalblue, provided project management services on the RST project, with particular emphasis on stage lighting, audiovisual and stage engineering systems. Owen who has been with Charcoalblue since 2005, will join speakers Vince Herbert, HOD Lighting, Jeremy Dunn, HOD Sound, Adam Harvey, HOD automation/stage engineering and Jonathan Porter-Goff, Stage Electrics to divulge the details of this success live at PLASA 2011.
For more on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, see the August - September 2011 issue of LSi, out soon.
(Jim Evans)
