Nottingham Playhouse

Nottingham Playhouse is a repertory theatre constructed between 1961 and 1963, designed by Peter Moro. The building occupies a square footprint on Wellington Circus, with the site’s sloping ground allowing for backstage workshops and dressing rooms at the rear. A projecting wing to the left houses a rehearsal room, while separate commercial spaces for bars and restaurants are not of particular architectural interest. The circular auditorium, with stalls and a single circle, rises from within the square form, accompanied by a taller flytower behind.

The exterior features a glazed ground floor and a first floor treated as a low, horizontal band of chequered opaque white panels and dark glazing, the pattern reversing at night to draw visitors in. The foyer includes open tread staircases and a balcony following the perimeter of the square external walls, while the drum of the auditorium is largely unadorned, punctuated by a sculpture by Geoffrey Clarke. The circular auditorium’s interior is clad in black timber slats, continuing the exterior theme and concealing wiring and lighting.

The proscenium stage is designed to be adaptable as an apron or thrust stage, capable of being raised over the orchestra pit and with adjustable seating to accommodate this altered configuration – a novel feature in 1963. A circular grid serves this extended stage and contributes to the building’s architectural form.

Historically, Nottingham Playhouse was notable for deviating from traditional proscenium stage arrangements, signifying a new and successful era for British theatre. It represents a stylistic link between the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal National Theatre, and serves as a prime example of the new wave of repertory theatres built outside of London.