Glasgow’s exquisite and historic King’s Theatre is enjoying a phased refurbishment that is intended to return the theatre to its former grandeur. Completed in 1904, it represents one of the most inspired designs by Frank Matcham, and considered one of Scotland’s most significant theatres.
Restoration planning started just two years ago, and the first phase – the replacement of audience seating – was successfully completed on time at the end of August. Working with local architects Simpson and Brown as well as with Tim Foster Architects and John Muir, Theatreplan’s Clive Odom explained that the first phase of the work has focused on the auditorium and orchestra pit, “The seating in the stalls, and the Grand Tier, has been replaced with a design that is authentic to the period of the auditorium and most importantly, is comfortable. The theatre has been running a scheme for people to sponsor a seat, and each one has a space for an engraved plaque commemorating a person or an event.”
The refurbishment of the auditorium has also been partly funded through audience participation. In addition to the seat-sponsoring scheme, the theatre has been charging a levy of £1 on each ticket purchased over the past year, with the fund – now approaching £400,000 – going towards the new seating. Part of the overall scheme to replace the seats included alterations to the auditorium rake to accommodate a plenum beneath for a future air conditioning installation (air vents are provided for most seats in the stalls), and also to improve sight lines when the stage floor is eventually levelled during a later phase of the work. And in reformulating the stalls seating, the centre aisle was omitted to offer a greater number of ‘best seats in the house’.
The preferences of audience members using wheelchairs weren’t ignored, as the new auditorium offers more than the required minimum number of removable seats along the back row of the stalls, plus a number of transfer seats for those who prefer to sit in one of the King’s sumptuous new seats during a performance rather than in their wheelchair.
The renovation programme also allowed the opportunity to rebuild the demountable parts of the orchestra pit. To simplify the process of enlarging the orchestra pit when required, Theatreplan redesigned the original pit infill area with custom-made Steeldeck units. The existing orchestra pit rail was in a very poor state prior to the renovation; it was shabby and not only difficult to remove and reinstall but also didn’t comply with modern safety regulations. The new reproduction balustrade, which was designed around Steeldeck ‘Wedgeloc®’, provides a safe and compliant orchestra rail that is quick to install and can be easily adjusted to accommodate each of the three possible orchestra pit sizes.
The elimination of a previous temporary eyesore will be welcomed by the paying public. Previously, sound cables were draped along the side walls of the auditorium for many of the shows, but now a cable duct, fitted with a permanent draw rope, has been integrated under the new auditorium floor. Touring companies can now easily pull their sound cables from the orchestra pit to the new mixer position at the rear of the stalls out of sight of the audience.
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