Project summary

Charcoalblue developed the concept design for a temporary theatre which was built inside the Roundhouse. The encircling structure was designed specifically for the Royal Shakespeare Company to transfer its acclaimed Histories plays from its own Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon to London, and made innovative use of the Roundhouse’s own temporary seating equipment.

The performance space was a further exploration for Charcoalblue into the thrust stage format, continuing the stage development and lessons learned from the Courtyard Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Transformation project. The RSC technical teams developed the detailed design of the temporary Roundhouse Auditorium in consultation with Charcoalblue.

“Aside from the actors, the heroes of the occasion are the technical staff. Under Peter Bailey, they have transformed the Roundhouse from the cavernous vault that handicapped the recent Indian Dream into an intimate, galleried space that closely resembles the Stratford Courtyard.”

Michael Billington - The Guardian