Royal Shakespeare Theatre

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a complex containing two theatre spaces, a rehearsal room, front-of-house and backstage facilities, exhibition areas, a restaurant, cafés, a shop, and a viewing tower. The building represents work by several architects: Dodgshun and Unsworth designed the original structure in 1877-9 and 1881; Elisabeth Scott carried out major rebuilding in 1928-32; Michael Reardon and Associates undertook alterations in 1984-6; and Bennetts Associates completed significant modifications in 2005-11.

Construction and Materials

The complex is constructed of red brick with stone and grey brick dressings, coated steel and glass, with roofing in lead, zinc, green slate and membrane materials.

Layout

The two theatre auditoria are positioned back-to-back with the fly tower of the principal auditorium at the centre. Circulation spaces occupy the north, east and west sides at ground floor level. These include a curved lobby entrance with a bar above on the north side, a café to the east, and the shop and loading bays for backstage operations on the west, arranged along a 'colonnade'. Above ground floor are two storeys of backstage offices, stores and workshops. Below the fly tower are two basement levels served by the stage lift. The restaurant runs along the north and eastern sides at third-floor level. The viewing tower stands at the north-western corner and the former Library and Art Gallery building of 1881 (now called the Swan Wing) connects to the southern end of the west side of the complex.

South Elevation

The south front largely consists of the earliest parts of the building, adapted to new uses following the fire of 1926. At the centre stands the semi-circular bowed wall of the auditorium, which now houses the Swan Theatre. This has walls of red, Flemish-bond brickwork with a projecting plinth and flush bands of stone. The central double doors feature a round-arched surround and there are blocked cross windows circling the upper body. At the top of the wall a series of deep stone brackets formerly supported a timber-framed jetty. After 1926 this was replaced by channelled brick walling in line with that below, but the brackets have been retained. The present lead roof with gabled dormer windows was added in 1984-6 as part of Reardon's conversion of the space to the Swan Theatre. It houses a rehearsal room and represents a partial reinstatement of the 19th-century Memorial Theatre's skyline.

To the left stands the truncated 19th-century tower, of which the lower two stages survive in their original form, with flush stone bands and double doors set in a moulded stone surround, above which are two blind lancets. Above this, Reardon added a further portion of the tower with horizontally channelled brickwork in 1984-6.

At left of this and marginally recessed is the bridge that connected the library and gallery block of 1881 to the slightly earlier theatre of 1877-79. This features a segmental arch of the former porte-cochère at ground floor level, now forming an entrance to the western colonnade. The first floor above this was originally timber-framed, but has been replaced by brick walling with three-light casements to either side. Projecting at left again is the south end of the Swan Wing, which has a staircase rising along its wall with stepped lancets and a lean-to roof with decorative chevron-patterned lead roofing. The parapet walling behind and above this shows a chequerboard pattern of brick and stone, and the setback attic storey has close-studded walling and a hipped green slate roof with finials.

Projecting at far right is the three-storey dressing room block with stage door at ground floor level. This has a framework of steel H-beams, expressed at the corners and along the roofline, with walling clad in zinc sheets.

Western Elevation

The western side overlooks the River Avon and has a paved terrace approached from the café through French windows. At far left stands the new dressing room block of 2011. This has a steel frame and zinc-clad walls overlaying brick walling at the rear of the balconies, which are placed in front of each room on the upper two floors. The form of this wing slightly imitates the shape of the loggia that Scott placed along the river front to shield the shell of the earlier theatre. The recessed green room at the top of the block has brick walling and a generous balcony.

To right of this is the older brick walling of the Elisabeth Scott theatre, restored to the line of its completion in 1932, before the projecting restaurant was added to this side in 1938 (again by Scott). Later openings caused by the changes have been blocked using original cleaned bricks, leaving a distinctive mottled texture also seen on the interior. A projecting portion of blind walling at left is decorated with projecting brick quoins, and at right of this are five bays with metal-framed doors to the ground and first floors, leading out to the terrace and metal balconies. These bays are divided by angled brick fins and aprons formed of projecting rectangular panels of bricks are set beneath the second floor windows. Above this is the balcony of the restaurant, which has dark glass windows with black coated frames. At the top is an overhanging roof with fascia boards and the zinc-sheathed auditorium roof, which is set back. Turning the corner to the Bancroft front is a broad polygonal staircase tower with stepped metal-framed windows.

Northern (Bancroft) Elevation

The northern Bancroft front is gently bowed and near-symmetrical. It formed the principal entrance of the 1932 theatre. The tall openings at ground and first-floor levels of the five central bays mark the foyer and bar. These bays are divided by angled brick fins, as on the eastern river front, and there is a continuous stepped awning with copper cladding above the five sets of doors. At the top of the wall are relief sculptures in cut brick by Eric Kennington showing Treachery, Jollity, Life Triumphing over Death, Martial Ardour, and Love. The three bays at either side show three storeys of lesser height set against the two principal floors at the centre. At far left is the polygonal stair tower and this is contrasted with a broad flat bay at right. Set back above this is the restaurant with dark glass and deep awning. Above it can be seen the polygonal roof of the auditorium, clad with zinc.

Recessed to the right of the front is the glazed link to the tower, which also serves as a principal entrance to the ticket office and shop at ground floor level. The tower has battered walls of red Flemish-bond brick with chamfered corners. At its top is a tall viewing room with louvred windows and an awning projecting on the east and west sides. The north, south and west sides have brick walling with continuous vertical lights to the chamfered angles and stepped windows in line with the stairs that surround the central lift. The east side has zinc cladding around a central continuous vertical window.

Eastern Elevation

The eastern front, facing the street called Waterside, has the tower at far left. To the right of this and recessed is the range built in 2011 against the former side wall of the Elisabeth Scott theatre. This is named the Colonnade at ground floor level and has coated metal uprights set in front of a wall of darkened glass. It houses the ticket office and shop at its northern end and the loading bays for backstage at the southern end, as well as connecting to the Swan Wing and Swan Theatre. Behind this is brick walling above which appear the balcony, glazing and awning of the restaurant and bar and the auditorium roof. The fly tower rises above the building at right with patterns in relief in its brickwork.

The Swan Wing (former Library and Gallery wing, built in 1881) projects at right. It is richly decorated with stone dressings and has a tripartite front with projecting two-bay wings at either side of three central bays. The lateral bays have close-studded framing to their taller attics and hipped roofs. The projecting wing at right has two doorways to the ground floor and a balcony with two arched openings at first floor level. The left wing has two three-light windows at first floor level and three lancets to the ground floor. The central three bays have three-light windows at ground floor level and relief panels to the first floor set in blind tracery surrounds. These terracotta panels were made by Paul Kummer and added in 1886. They represent History, Tragedy and Comedy. The north flank of the wing has two three-light traceried windows to the ground floor and an oriel to the centre of the first floor, supported by delicately carved corbels.

Interior: Swan Wing

The late-Victorian Swan Wing has an entrance hall that was formerly the approach to gallery seating in the theatre. This has a staircase projecting from its south wall with a colonnade to its inner side and stained glass lancets showing the Seven Ages of Man to its outer wall. Marble colonettes flank the openings and wrought iron panels are set into the balustrade. The ceiling has wood panelling and a stained glass war memorial window on the upper landing is dedicated 'In memory of the Old Bensonians who fell in the War 1914-1918' (Sir Frank Benson managed the Shakespeare Festival from 1886 to 1916 and his company was named after him).

The ground floor former library rooms have parquet flooring, panelled walling and ceilings with glazed bookcases and a richly decorated stone fire surround in one room and a wooden surround in the other. The first floor gallery space has a central roof light and panelled ceiling with arched openings between the spaces and stained glass to the northern oriel, showing Bensonians in character roles.

Interior: Scott Theatre Foyer and Public Spaces

The curved foyer of the Scott theatre has exposed brick walls. Green marble veneers and chromium-plated metal are used on door surrounds from the exterior and to the auditorium. The former ticket kiosks are placed at the centre of the southern side and their walls are formed of chromium-plated faceted metal. Above the eastern door through to the polygonal staircase tower is a large clock face flanked by the date '19/32'. The floor has English marble flags of alternating colours.

The polygonal staircase has a broad spiral staircase that climbs around the side of the drum. The walling is of exposed brick with decorative bands of soldier courses and the ceiling is faceted around a central star shape. The balustrade is faced with panels of Swedish green marble and the floor is of English marble flags forming a circular pattern. At the centre of the hall is an inset pool with a central fountain designed by Gertrude Hermes. Doors with decorative chrome handles (also by Hermes) lead to the café along the east side of the building.

The first floor bar to the centre of the Bancroft front is curved on plan and has an inlaid wood floor. Openings along the south wall and the French windows that lead to small balconies along the north wall have inlaid wood surrounds, and there is a double staircase at the western end of the room with chromium-plated balustrade and wood panelling with faceted mirrors. Light fittings to the centre of the room are to the original pattern.

The shortening and widening of the auditorium plan has created two roughly triangular voids at the northern end of the building, which are used as additional circulation spaces at ground floor level and rise through the full height of the building with balconies looking down onto them from the different levels. The original north wall of the auditorium is exposed and, other than being painted, the marks indicating the placing of former openings and staircases are clearly shown. By contrast, the curved wall of the new auditorium is of exposed handmade bricks.

The restaurant and bar area wraps around the east, west and north sides of the top of the building and includes part of the Bancroft façade designed by Scott. The former external wall now forms a room division and has panels of grey bricks with fin patterns in relief to its north side. Two hinged screens behind the east and west service stations are made of inlaid doors from the former Scott auditorium. Connected to the restaurant and occupying the space at the top of Scott's staircase tower is a circular dining room, which was originally a bar. This has a moulded ceiling and inlaid floor, with banded decoration to the walls.

Interior: Swan Theatre

The Swan Theatre auditorium, formed inside the shell of the original 1870s building, has three tiers of seating arranged in a U-shape around the central thrust stage. The structure is of pine and the original bare brick walls are exposed behind this. Above the rear stage is a musicians' gallery, included at the upper gallery level.

Interior: Principal Auditorium

The principal auditorium is also grouped around a central thrust stage. The proscenium arch has been retained as a bare brick outline in the south side of the fly tower and allows a continuation of the stage area. The structure supporting the seating is of steel H-beams, clearly expressed. There are two tiers of balconies and above the thrust stage is a fly area. Walls of the auditorium are wood-panelled.