Theatre Projects Trust London Seminar on West End Theatres

January 13, 2006

Most of the 40 commercial theatres in London's West End were built over 100 years ago, and many had not been intended to last that long, explained Peter Longman, retiring director of The Theatres Trust at the opening of a seminar on the future of West-End theatres. The last 100 years has brought with it a lot of changes to the theatre industry: changes in production quality, audience expectations, types of performances, as well as major innovations in theatre technology and equipment. Many theatre owners have not made adequate provision for their theatre's refurbishment and/or replacement.

To initiate a necessary dialogue about the existing conditions and the future of West-End theatres, the Theatre Projects Trust with The Theatres Trust arranged a full-day of seminars on the 15th of November, 2005 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. The sessions concentrated on the users of theatres - dramatists, composers, actors, musicians, producers, technicians, back-stage and front of house staff as well as the all-important audience.

A brief summary of the dialogue from the sessions follows:

Charles Spencer (Drama Critic of the Daily Telegraph) chairing the first session commented that audiences, who hitherto had entered through separate entrances to the circles, upper circles, and galleries, now entered through a single inadequate lobby. Many West-End theatres have fine acoustics, but some film and television actors were poorly trained to project speech to live audiences. Tourists love our old theatres but they're disappointed by the shabbiness of the buildings, their seats, and inadequate toilets and bars.

Production company staff said that back-stage there was a lack of showers, toilets, green rooms, and space for wardrobe. The maintenance of wigs needs space, light, and ventilation (some spray materials are toxic), and wardrobe was often hard to access up steep stairs. There were problems of under-stage office accommodation where staff using computers, e-mail facilities, etc. never saw daylight and mobile phones did not operate.

There was debate as to whether there were too many theatres offering the same type of experience and whether there should be more spaces available for new, experimental, or smaller-scale productions. London suffered from having too few venues similar to the Off-off Broadway theatre in New York. The costs of reconfiguring a conventional auditorium could be considerable.

Many participants raised the possibility of theatres being used outside normal performance hours. It was recognized that it was difficult to schedule conferences, which might book long in advance. Few theatres had ancillary spaces able to house seminars or such events as children's classes.

Opportunities for corporate entertaining were needed. Signage in theatres was often difficult to read particularly by partially sighted people. It was acknowledged that wheelchair access was particular difficult in listed buildings.

The final session was chaired by William Differ (Delfont Mackintosh), who discussed whether more matinees and Sunday performances were to be desired. Older theatregoers might venture into the West-End for such performances. In New York almost all Broadway shows were available on Sundays and some on Mondays, so visitors had a daily and weekend choice.

Richard Pulford (Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatres) explained that SOLT was in discussion about VAT concessions being made towards the cost of theatre refurbishments over the next 15 or 20 years.

Thanks were given to Sir Cameron Mackintosh for making the Prince of Wales Theatre available, Kelvin Allen for arranging the event, The Stage newspaper, and John Offord of the Entertainment Technology Press. In the future meetings will be held with theatre owners, local authority members, conservationists, Members of Parliament, architects and consultants, but this seminar was intended for users to have a voice so that they could not later cry: "why weren't we consulted?".

Anthony Field
November 2005

The Theatre Projects Trust Ltd. was formed in 1970 to create London's leading Stage Management and Technical Theatre Training Course at LAMDA - now celebrating its 40th year. As a registered charity the Trust is established to advance education and promote plays of artistic merit as well as to train young people for careers in technical theatre. The present Trustees are Richard Pilbrow, Iain Mackintosh, David Staples, Robert Stanton, and Chairman Anthony Field.

The Theatres Trust is a UK statutory body established by The Theatres Trust Act 1976 and The Theatres Trust (Scotland) Act 1978 to "promote the better protection of theatres."