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Prevíous page: the view from the stage oí the Oltvíer Theatre clea.rly ahows all the elementa of the auditorium. The three main tiera of seats. the broken egg-shell etrect oí the ceiUng and the prodígíous plethora oflighting equipment. Above right: like some spiky spacecraft, tnese'great; bunches of l1ghta descend through the aplit planea ofthe Olivier ceíltng;
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key 1. continuous radial diffuser labricated from 16-gauge perforated mild steel sheet stove-enamelled dark brown 2. 38 mm continuous slot 3. header box-2-seat module 4. centrally positioned 457 mm long spreader; 16-gauge perforated galvanised mild steel sheet 5.152 mm by 102 mm inlet from plenum 6. 16-gauge galvanised mild steel sheet 7. 16-gauge mild steel sheet stove-enamelled dark brown 8. vertical supports fabricated Irom selected steel bars 9. holding-down bolts-machine screw fixing into expanding metal sleeve into reinforced concrete structure 10. continuous plywood scribing piece; continuous softwood edging piece lixed by main contractor to establish selting out 01 seat rows 1,. two sheets 16-gauge galvanised mild steel. carpet covered ; Carpet-contract quality 'twist' püe.nolour dark brown 12. carpet=-densa 'twist' pile carpet on underlay on screed ; colour: dark brown 13. tip-up seat-{'2 mm birch-ply baseboard. 38 mt;; Dunlop DP 107 neomorphic foam-~onded to 50mm Dunlop DFR 168 reconstltuted loam. covered wool pile labric 14. tube and spigot pivot with nylon buffers: prelormed plywood seat support 15. 101 mm wide arm resto plywood construction on steel coreo covered wool pile labric on Dunlop DP 107 loam 16. 9 mm prelormed plywood back. 50 mm Dunlop DP 107 loam covered wool pile labric 17. plywood box construction back. 50 mm Dunlop DP 107 loam covered wool pile labric
Seat type A: Narrow seat without arms lor the lront stalls in both theatres. They are the cheap seats and they occupy the Ironuows 01 both theatres, they wdl provioe a 'ripple' 01 response lar (he actors instuad of tho moro usual somnolont uunosphoro of thu exponsivc han t rows. 762 mm back 10 back : 457 mm Centre to centre. Flat floor 10 203 mm "ser.
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Olivier Theatre An open-stage theatre that seatshiBOleoPle in a bowl-like configuration which Fmffi.rces the stage and focuses the attention of the audience upon it. In the centre ofthe stage is a drum revolve, diameter 11·5 m. A large fiy tower equipped with a system of power-operated spot lines covers most of the stage. There is no safety curtain. The back of the stage can be opened up or closed offto suít the scale of various productions. The front edge of the stage can be varied in shape and there is the possi bili ty of two en trances for actors from beneath the síde, intermediate tiers. Behind the stage and separated from it by soundproof doors are scene assembly spaces 'fi''óm which scenery can be moved on _ -rnotorísed wagons. The ceiling of the theatre ) consists of suspended elements angled to refiect sound or to mask lighting bridges. 4 Seal type B: Stalls seat with arms in both theatre.s 890 mm back to back : 533 mm centre to centre. Flat floor to 317 mm riser.
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public zones of the building make an L linked by the receding terraces. They are set back surprtsíngív far from the river bank. All Lhese ceremonial pat'Ls are made from in-situ. concrete. '1'0 Lbereal' is a 11101'0 neu tru.l brtck and concrete box conLaining tho 'prívate' areas=-palnt shops, workrooms and rehearsal
spaces. 'l'he third small theatre and dressing rooms are tucked in between the Lwomain zones. ThaL the open LheaLre ís Lheprime mover of Lhedcsign is otear 1'1"0111 Lbeexter-ior ami from the plan. Form, structure and circulation converge on iLand the auditorium is iLsolf
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Oliv.er Theatre stalls level (scate 1 :600) key 1. Ohvrer Theatre 2. Olivrer stalls foyer 3. Lyttelton Theatre fly tower 4. costume workrooms 5. wig workroom 6. adrmrustrauve offices 7. conference room 8. rehearsal rooms
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Olivier Theatre . detail sectton key t. lighling bridge 2. precast concrete floor units 3. adjustable flghtmg bar 4. steel-framed ceiling panels 5. fibrous plaster edge to ceiling panels 6. plaster on expanded metal 7. 2-layer plasterboard top linmg 8. oxpanded alurmruurn mesh 9. projectron room' 10. 'lre shutter 11. ettects loudspeaker 12. hessran-coverad panels 13. carpet 14. type C seats 15. type Cl seats 16. tlmber rester 17. air ducl from under lIoor plenum 18. director's room 19. electrically-operaled window (t m plate glass) 20. access floormg 21. tvpe B seats 22. Iype A seat s 23. rlslng handra"
Auditorium
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•We searched tor a single room embodying stage and auditorium uihose spatial configuration, above all else, would promote a dynamic and emotional relationship betwee1.laudience ánd actor-between a /iXed arcnttectonlc geometry 01 vision, acoustics and concentration and the chance irregular demands 01dramatic performance. We searched tor an open relationship that looked back to the Greeks and Elizabethans and, at the same time, looked forward to a contemporary view pl society in which all could have a tair chance to see, hear and share the collective experience 01exploring human truihs. The room tnus offers many pdssibilitie¡¡ and certai~ contradictions.' D.L.
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Above: audi tori um sea t type A. Above right: seat type B.
Seat type C: Balcony seat with arms in the Lyttelton Theatre and side stalls seat with arms in the Olivrer Theatrc. 940 mm back lO back; 533 mm centre to
seats
Designed by Heritage & Race (Race Furni ture Ltd) working closely with Lasdun. Variations of the same basíc seat are used in both the Qlivier and Lyttelton theatres. A carpeted plinth, withradial diffuser, supports a deceptively simple, very comfortable seat. It is the integration ofpart ofthe air-conditioning system with the seating that is interesting; Lasdun's starting point was a standard Race auditorium seat, its tube legs also supporting a ventilation düct/díñuser. Extensive tests were carried out by the heating and ventilating consultant, the seats at this stage were represented by pieces of plywood. Heritage modelled the seat and so a prototype stage was reached. The success of the sea t we si t in, wi th its radial diffuser beneath, is such that we are not aware oí the complexi ty of the pro blems itsol ves.
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centre.
Flat lIoor lo 482 mm riser. Seat Iype Cl : (not illustrated) Balcony seat with arms in the Olivier Theatre only. 940 mm back 10 back; 533 mm centre to centre. Constan! 571 mm.
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section through fly tower and drum (scale 1 :500) • kev 1. fly tower smoke outlet 2. lighting hoists 3. scenery hoist tracks at 500 mm centres 4. motor room 6. boiler room 6. fire and sound door 7. projection room 8. rear stage 9. shuttered opening to scene dock 10. workshop level 11. disc revolve 12. personnel access opening 13. drum revolve frame 14. elevator S 15. loading platform lowers under main elevators 16. scenery access qpening 17. elavator A I I 18. personnel u.nderllage aacess 19. large rehearsaJ Ib<Im 20. rlsong handraíl 21. removable rostra 22. acting area 23. auditorium 24. lighting gallery 25. lighting bridges 26. fly gallery 27. intermediate gallery 28. loadlng gallery 29. mamtenance gallery 30. grid level 31. roof level
A 'stalactite' for stage and auditorium lighting,looking through the ceiling ofthe Olivier Theatre downon to the drum revolve (underconstruction).
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search throughout the world for a11available methods of achieving this satisfactorily. Fina11y we discovered that there were no truly satisfactory systems then existing and new developments had to be initiated to meet the crí tería that we had set ourselves. These criteria included a system that was absolutely safe, that could move scenery at least as rapidly and sensitively as ahuman being was able to in conventional circumstances, was virtually silent and was capable of taking the required est.ímated loads and positioning them with great accuracy. After many months, through the engineering expertise of Ríchard Brett, the 'concept of employing cyclo-convertor drives was developed. A lengthy procese of building and testing prototypes began. The results were as predicted. Plans were then developed for an installation of motorised spotlines, running in tracks across the grid, to be able to cope with almost any contingency for flying three-dimensional objects at any angle to the centre line of the stage. Around the back of the stage, it appeared logical to pursue the si de and rear stage prfnciples already adopted in the Lyttelton. But because ofthe strange shape ofthe stage itself, and the constraints of the si te, these rear stage are as had to be very compactly shaped. The stage floor itselfpresented the most The building committee had decided that the perplexing problem. All were agreed upon the fly tower should not extend to the very front of need for flexibility. The shape ofthe stage the stage and also that, because ofthe great must be capable ofeasy alteration. Because desíre to make the leading edge of the stage as the stage in the corner of the audience room, adjustable as possible, there should be no __~::Couldupon occaslon be surrounded by space, safety curtain. The side elements of the fly -: there was need for easy access by actors from tower, occasioned by the sightlines from the, - -beneath the stage at any point in its surface. extreme side seats, had to be extended. This Then there was the question of the nature of led to the now characteristic shape of the scenery that might be employed and how ít Olivier fly tower that dominates the whole might be changed. In a conventional thrust building. stage theatre-where there is no front curtain Because the audience partiaIly surrounded -scenery, furniture and even properties had the stase. a oonven tíonal flying syatem eithor to remaín stat.íc througbout tbe restricting the auspensíon ofscenery Lolateral performance, with only changes oflight to Iínes running across the stage would be of alter atmosphere or environment, or be doubtful value. The stage seemed to éemand a changed by backstage staff or actors eitherin 'spot' or point-line ñyíng system. We began to darkness or in fuIl view. It was a~reed that while these alternatives were practícal, they were not the perfect way of operating in every cífcumstance thatmígnt arise. Our thoughts turned towards the design ofa device that would combine the advantages of a revolvíng stage with wagons and elevators. With such a device, scenery upon the thrust stage, right in the heart ofthe audience, could be lowered into the basement and turned and replaced by new scenery or props in the same, or any other, part ofthe stage. Two further practical considerations supported thís idea. The first was that the narrowness of the structure of the rear stage would not allow a revolve of sufficient size to be introduced on to the acting area by wagons as was contemplated for the Lyttelton Theatre; and since the Olivier Theatre was on the third floor ofthe building, an alternative freight eleva tor for the transport of scenery from the workshop level below seemed essential. Accordingly the Theta drum revolve was born The design ofthe drum allows the silent vertical or rotating movement of scenery at an infinite number ofpre-selected speeds. It allows traps rn its surface to be posí tioned in an infini te number of places. Lastly, it gives the freedom to reconstruct the thrust stage shape very rapídly and even a.ll ws the designer the freedom of using the space both
Ohvier 1 hcatre
the terraces. They house fiying equipment, elevators and ventilating machinery. Of various sizes, they also indicate the presence of.the theatres within and the position ofthe main entrance along tbe 45-degree axis to the open Lhcat.re sLag-c. 'Phe open stage (Olivier) theatre occupies a large are a away from the bridge, The proscenium (Lv t.tcl ton) theat.re is
and are modelled in light. The terraces are clearly a primary feature. They bind the building into acoherent whole and extend back and forth in response to changes of function, interior space and exterior poeaíbíf it.y ofview. 'I'hey support. Lhc public life of the structure and open out its contents to the cityscape, as well as supporti ng the major functions inside. 'I'he Lowurs
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8 8, perspective by Brian O'Rorke sbowing bis first desígn, prepared in Marcb 1952,for a National Tbeatre standing on tbe left of tbe Royal Festival Hall, next to Waterloo Bridge. 9, O'Rorke's second scherne for tbe National Tbeatre, tbe elevation sbows tbe roof of County Hall in tbe background. lO, plan ofO'Rorke's second scbeme. Tbis provided a main proscenium theatre with space set aside wi thin which a second small theatre could be provitled when funds became available. 9
Patrick Abercrombie, Charles Holden, William Holford, Charles Reilly and Nikolaus Pevsner retired to lunch at the Savoy to select the mano They carne out to recommend the appointment oí Brian O'Rorke. Al though he had worked on the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratíord, the AustralianO'Rorke was best known as a desígner oí the in teriors oí shíps íor the Orient Line. He settled down with Cecil Masey to draw up plana íor a theatre that was now to ha ve two audi toria (one for 1250 and one íor 500) next to the Royal Festival Hall. All seemed set íair íor the project. Legislation was proposed in the Cornmons to provide not more than n million towards the cost oí oonstructton provided the LCC gave the bultding a auitable site. The National Theatre AC"twas passed in 1949 artd in July 1951, during the Festival oí Britain, the íoundation stone oí what had become known as O'Rorke's theatre was laitl by the Queen, now the Queen Mother. Publ ícly, the first delays in getting the theatre under way were blamed on the post-war ban on building for entertainment. But by June 1952 people were begínníng to
11,O'Rorke's perspectíve ofhis proscenium theatre. 12,O'Rorke al tered hís design in 1960substituting a 1175seat 'open stage' audítorí um for his earlier smaü theatre. 13,O'Rorke prepared a scheme for a Natlonal Tbeatl'e and Opera House following tbe decision of the governmen t Losupport, the project in 1961.He planned his tbeatre next to Charing Cross Bridge and his Opera House next to County Hall, the opposite arrangement to that later adopted by Lasdun. 14,O'Rorke's sketch ofbis theatre and Op ra Hous . The t.hcat.r was (,0 contatn a 1100 soat. open-stage theat.re on the rlver frontwithaproscenium theatre inland. He envisaged the open-stage theatre as half stage andhalfauditorium withina drum which was exposed on the outside oí the building.
cornmen t on the theatre'slack oí a building permi t. In fact, in 1953 it was refused planning permission because ofita 'unsatisfactory relationship' to the Festival Hall, and the site moved in the new plana oí that year for the South Bank, to a site next to County Hall. The theatre project now entered what must have been the most demoralising period for its perpetrators sínce the war. Despite the government's agreement in príncíple on financing and the splendid site on the Bouth Bank, debate was renewed as to whether the theatre was needed at 0.11.Ifit was, there were many who believed that the South Bank Wa8 not the place for it and as íor the deelgn iteelf, surely two auditoria were not nec8ssary? By 1957 the projected cost had risen to between ~1'5 and t2 milllon and a year latar, when an appltcatíon for outline planning permíssíon tor the theatre, on the site next to County Hall was fÍnally Iodged, there was st1ll no stgn that the Treasury would part with the money promised under the Act, now almost 10 years old. By 1959 It was olear that besides the cost oí construction an annual subsidy of ~ ()()() would be needed to keep the theatre in
higbly focused. The axis of the opcn t.hea.tre seta up a 45-degree angle wbich is repeat.ed in many parts and detai ls of thc building. All elements of the design respond to one or other of the main directions of the audi toria. The spatiallayering observed on the exterior is also felt on the interior. Banks ofstairs pass to the upper fioors. Volumes open up as many as three levels at a time. The concrete skeleton-a constituent feature ofmuch modern architecture-has here sidestepped its usual grid and box forrn ula. Instead one finds rich sequences ofform and sp]:tce,fiowing into each other, opening to admit more light, or closing to give a sense ofprotecLion. Elements shift and align in new relationships as one moves about the irrteriors. The magic of the r-ívcr and the city is experiencecl as a series of scenographic vignettes framed by the overhanging soffits of the ceiling . The details of the theatre are everywhere integrated with the primary forms. The raking stru ts supporting the north-east corner are a case in point-not only do they serve their structural function, they have also been delicately scaled so that from across the river they bave a springing, vital visual effect,
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like inverted tlying buttresses. Formwork has been designed to echo major directions of larger elements, and fenes\'ration joints have been made \'0 insure an easy visual transi tion from inside to out. The platforms and terraces join with the stalls and upper tier levels of the main auditoria and give access to them from the rear. The bare concrete, banked seats and horizontal tiers in the Olivier Theatre continue the theme of stratification observed in the building. The auditorium is arranged in a 9O-degreeare which appears to grasp the circular stage and hence to unify the world of the audience with that of Lhoactor. The sense of focus ís enhanced by a IairIy steep rake and the angle of the side walls. Side banks ofseats stand at a t.ransí tlonal level between staüs and upper Lierand, as well as íurt.her emphasising the . sense of convergence, these help to unify the entire auditorium-there is a sense of continui ty between stalls and upper tier which is rare. The acousttc ceiling is raked as a concave echo ofthe bowl ofseats beneath it. Certain properties of the design are immediately evident. The furthest seat ís 70ft from the stage and this allows for considerable
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Lyttelton Theatre This is an orthodox prosceniurn theatre that Beata 895people In two tíers. The prosceníum arch ts adjuatable in width from 9 m to 13·6 m. in height from 5 m to 9 m. and on plan up to 1·6 m from the aafety curtain, which ís right on the forward edze of the stage. 'rhe stage can be fuIly raked and there is the posai bili ty of an orcheatra pí t. FuIl-sized near and aide atagea, separated from the maín stage by aoundproofdoora, are equipped with motoriaed scenery wagona. The fiy tower over the stage has a power-operated fíytng' system.
Above andfac1ngpa.ge (top): alde-long viewa oí the Lyttel ton: frOIDthe ataBa y<>uare unaware oí the circle and from the circle yo don'tnotlce the atalls, but from the 'Mappin terraces' at the aídes you can aee everybody,
Comment Tbe decísíon to have long rows unbroken by gangwaya has led to an inevitable 'cinema feel' to thís theatre. Thia is also because there ís no messing about with boxes or-ipaper ing the walls with people'-it is eyebaIl to eyeball straíght-on confrontation, and very dramatic. The proacenium is atrangely undefined by the architecture and much more delineated by lighting and areas ofblackness. The fror t atalls, rowa Ato D, are the 'ripple' rows-the cheap seata. The carpet is dark brown and the seata a aubtle 'beaver' brown. tvueuon Theatre : plan
lheaue : end-staqe
Above: the baok rows oí the stalls -DO c11agu1s1ngthe conorete surroundlngs, the ce1l1ng ís dramatioally lit from an elegant fitting.
Cottesloe Theatre: in the round
Cottesloe
Cottesloe Theatre
a completely encircling audience has yet to be installed. Statistics-
Above: the entrance to the Cottesloe ís on the east side ofthe theatre under the rearing concrete supporta. Patrons ofthe Cottesloe have their own self-contained bars and foyersall black carpeta and a Corb Btaircase-very austere. Facing page (bottom): Iookíng lnto the black hole 01 Cottesloe; when in use and l1ned wlth expectant faces this could be a very exclting theatre.
This third theatre, a studio theatre for the NT company, was almost sacrificed at an early stage to save money. In 1972it reappeared on the plans as a simple studio space which the NT company could exploit as and when money became available.ln October 1973Iain Mackintoah put forward a design study in which it was proposed to turn the space into a multi-tiered room to hold up to 400 people in a variety of arrangements. This study was then developed by the architects. The space on the plan that had to be filled was 66ft long and 56ft wide-bigger than David Garrick's Drury Lane. The solubíon that has be en adopted has galleries on three sídes, each level of the audience consisting of oae row sitting and behind them a row of standíng (or leaning) patrons. Depending on the stage arrangements the central fioor area can take a variety ofseating arrangements. The Cottesloe can be organised inside the space defined by the three walls of galleries in a variety ofways-scenic end stage; theatre in the round; one room end stage and, by rais1ng the auditorium in the centralspace to stage height and removing the lowest of the three tier fronts, a fiat floor over the whole space. A moving 'fourth wall' that could vary the vol urne of the space and provide
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Between 200and 400can be accommodated depending on layout. There are five lighting bridges and access bridges and interconnecting walkways 7, 3 m above stage level. The central area between the encircling galleries 1S9·9 m wide and eíther m or 13·2m long depending on whether the side gallery extensions are in use. Líghtdngposi tí ons are on central bridges and gallery fronts and over the end stage area. Minimal scenic suspension on hemp and winch lines ís provided over the endstage. ü-ü
Comment It ís too early to judge thís theatre, but it does look a very promising studio theatre. In form and scale it feels like a Georgian playhouse while having an indoor Elizabethan quality that favours the non-scenic production. When it islined by an audience it could well be an exci ting cockpi t for experimen tal productions. It is currently painted a stark black all over which gives it the aír of a setting for some grim initiation or ritual. A determination to make itfeellike a studio has deprived it of any welcoming warmth and left a great deal of the theatrical atmosphere to be provided by the playa.
Page 14: the building belongs to the river and, part.icular-ly in the summer, is used outside as part, ofthe rrverscape.
Architects
Denys Lasdun & Partners. Par tners-in-charge ; Denys Lasdun, Peter Softley. Associate: Harry Pugh Among the many architects who coIlaborated on the project, the foIlowing were involved for ayear or more: Tony Collins, Bruno Dammann, Chris Harris, Jack Howard, Malcolm Minjoodt, Tony Pitt, Derek Potter, Theo de Rouw, Takashi Suzuki; Andreas Alexiou, Donald BaIl, Lynn Cohen. Colin Edwards, Henry Feiner, ~rs Fernqvist, Margrit Fleischli, Gordon Forbes, Clive Giller, Clive Hogben, Richard Howell, Adam Kawecki, Jan Kapl ícky, David King, Robert Lerch, Russell Murray, Malena Olssori, Nava Orstein. Pet.er Put.t.ick, Jan Van Rooyen, Jaroslav Vokoun, Niels Wamberg, Tristan York, Oswald Zoggeler. Designer (uniforms, fabrics): Susan Lasdun. Model makers: Philip Wood, Robert Kirkman. Consultants
si t e plan
(sea le 1 :1500)
key 1. Oueon I lrzaboth 11011 2. lIayward Gallcry 3. Shell Centre
Structural ánd services: Flint & NeilL QuantiLy surveyors: Davis Belfield & Everest. Stage engi neertng , lig-hting-and sou nd : Theatre Projects Cónsul tants Ltd. Acoust.íca.l: the late Henry R. Humphries
(succeeded by Sound Research Laboratories). Graphic design: Ken Briggs. Catering: Greene Bertram Smith & Cornpanv. The National Theatre Building Committee
Lord Olivier, Norman Marshall (joint chairmen); Stephen Arlen, Michael Benthall, Peter Brook, George Devine, John Dexter, Frank Dunlop, Michael Elliott, Roger Furse, William Gaskill, Peter Hall, J ocelyn Herbert, Sean Keriny , Tanya Moiseiwitsch, Richard Pilbrow, Michel StDenis, Robert Stephens. (Kenneth 'I'yrian was also consulted.) Main contractor
Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons Ltd.
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Description
The National Theatre stands a little downstream ofWaterl00 Bridge on the South Bank of the Thames where the river begíns to turn into Kings Reach and to sweep around towards the City. Two blank fiy towers rise • from layers ofhorizontal terraces. These are inhabited on many levels. They cascade to the riverside walk and create deep undercrofts, shadows and recesses. Thc concrete is whitish-grey, bare and unadorned. Its planes and facets hover out towards the surroundings
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presented Shakespeare in October 1914and the other at Stratford where Frank Benson ñrst presented a season in 1886in the original theatre, opened in 1879and burnt down in 1926. Both companíes evolved were ofinternationaI stature and, in that they both honoured England's national playwright William Shakespeare, could both lay claírn to being national companíes. In both theatres money was al ways scarce and the need for any improvements had to be carefully weighed both by Governors and by whoever was in command of the company. At one the buíldíng burnt down and a new theatre had to be commíssíoned, a process that míght suggest. posí ti ve thinking as to how to design a national theatre. Indisputably both companies were substitute nationaI theatre companies and the púrpose or thís article ís to ALexamine how these relatively simple playhouses, OId Vic and Stratford, fared as substitute national theatres until the arrivaI of the real thing in 1976. The OId Vic is the smaller and the older of the two. It was opened as the Royal Coburg Theatre on 11May 1818(reassuringly to us today 'in a still unfinished state'). While there is nothing recognisable left of the original interior by Rudolph Cabanel, two reIevant points can be made about that arrangement: first that within the same four walls as exist today Davidge, manager from 1824to 1833, 11 could accommoda te over 4000(capaci ty in 1976:948); second that in presenting Edmund -'-Kean at the Royal Coburg in 1831Davidge -::-could contrast his small playhouse with the - -vast 'theatres for spectators' ofDrury Lane and Covent Garden: 'Those ofthe Theatrical public who have B~T~h8~O~I~d~V~iC~1~87~1~.8~O~:~A-.-S8-c~tio-n-;~B~.P~1-8n-(~SC-8~le~1~;~50~O~a-p-pr-O~X)~--------------------------~ hitherto only witnessed the efforts ofthis great Tragedian in vast spaces of the Patent Theatres, will find their admiration and delight at hís splendid powers tenfold increased by embracing the present opportunity of seeing them exerted in a Theatre ofmoderate dimensions allowíng every Master look and fine tone of the artlst to be distinctly seen and heard'. 'I:he theatre was still ofmoderate dírnensíons when it was acquired in 1880by Emma Cona who, by succession through Lilian Baylis, her niece, has bequeathed to us the OId Vic and its curiously cornplex living tradition. The OId Vic in 1880bore li ttle resemblance to the theatre of Cabanel but a great resemblance to what survives today. Most history books have got it wrong: the present interior was originally laid out by J. T. Robinson, C~lh~e~O~17d~V~iC~1~97~6~:~c~.s-e~ct~io-n~;~o-.p~la-n-~ __J architect, and dates from 1871.The plans that have been the basís of the earlier pair of redrawn plan and section are in the GLC archives: the plan beingsigned by J. T. Robinson and dated 19July 1871,the section being dated 1880and drawn by E. Hoole, architect. After the 1871reconstruction new owners had renamed the theatre the New Victoria Palace. A few years later they had to sell and at the sale the capacity of the 'noble, lofty and weU ventilated auditorium' was saíd to be 2300with a possibility of seata for 500 more. At the lower level there were 560pit seats with a pro me nade for 400,and it ís thís layout, attractive to modern eves, which ís illustrated .. The first pair of drawings, A, B, establísh the stage and auditorium that Emma Cons acquired in 1880.The second paír, C, D, show the theatre as it exists today virtually D~ ~--------------------------------~
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Norman Wilkinson and manager Barry Stratford-on-Avon materials are used with JackJ'jon. They did what they could to make intelligence, selection ís governed by fitness oí the building workable backstage. Meanwhile,.~~.:.purpose and desígn by the nature ofthe ," in theauditorium the governors goc the sort, .-. material ... the interior has a charm that of bleak '30s theatre that was famíltar in . - could never result from the application of Europe but was exceptional in England. ornament.' Thus spoke the AR; now for the theatre point There was criticismo Beachcomber called it ofview. 'the new Soviet barracks at Stratfe,rd'. During Actor Balliol Holloway, who led the company the Second World War, Herbert Farjeon for the 1934aeason: 'The acreage oí blank walls declared 'that ifthe next bomb dropped by a Nazi raider on a publíc building in thís between the proscenium and the ends oíthe circles, coupled with the immense distance country were to fall on the Shakespeare between the lower edge of the stage proper and Memorial Theatre, the bones ofthe Bard the fron t row of the staüs completely destroys might not 11euneasy in thab unopened grave'. all contact between actors and audience. It ís Theatre people on the whole hated it and saíd doubly hard on the actor that the audience so alter the opening celebrations were over. does not realise thís, and is a ware only of the The AR, on the other hand, loved it. actor's comparative ineffectiveness.' Director Some quotes from the AR of 1932,in which it Norman Marshall, himself a leader of the new was suggested that three things determíned theatre movement in the '30s, writing in 1939: the character of the 1932theatre. First, perfect 'the fundamental weakness in the design of sight línes: 'We are in a theatre in which the audítoríura ís in a broad are. No pillars the Memorial Tb'eatre ís the gulfbetween in terrupt, there are no boxes; from every sea t stage and auditorium. This would be a serious the stage can be seen ... it provides every thíng enough defect in any theatre, but ís doubly so the spectators need for seeing (including very in a thea tre buil t for the plays of Shakespeare comfortable seats).' Second, the aconstic which were written for a platform stage with calculations: 'The shape ofthe theatre no prosceni um and no barrier of any sort resembles a giant horn, and ís so designed that between actor and audience .... It ís true that the playera can be heard in all parts of the at Stratford there ís a forestage in front of the atage, and the sound dístrtbuted evenly proscenium, but it is so badlyrelated to the through the auditorium. The splaya, and stage proper that it has every appearance of ceiling of prosceníum, togetl.!,er with the being an afterthought. It ís impossible to íorestage when in use, act aareínforcernent to combine satisfactorily a forestage and a the source of sound.' Third, the modernist use conventional picture-frame stage.' ofnatural materials in decoration: 'Though All these problems were solved in the quarter new theatres continue to appear in constant century 1951to 1976.Anthony Quayle had be en succession throughout the country each appointed director in 1948and, for the ñrst newcomer, with a very occasional exception, time since the days ofBenson, Stratford had in representa no more than another step along command aman of the theatre who was both the tiresome path ofmotif-ornament and ofrealstature and prepared to make changes. meaningless decoration. Since Palladio built In 1951Brian O'Rorke, recently appointed his theatre ofVicenza there has be en no architect of the projected National Theatre, development, other than an increasing made extensive alterations. A row was added tendency towards vulgarity and over to the leading edge ofthe circle, tepped boxes were brought round at circle level to the elaboration .... In the new theatre at