Heritage groups alarmed by RSC demolition plan Â
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Your support makes all the difference.The Royal Shakespeare Company's plans to demolish its Art Deco theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon have alarmed heritage and conservation groups.
The plan was revealed by The Independent yesterday and confirmed by the RSC's artistic director, Adrian Noble. Subject to planning permission, it will involve bulldozing the grade II* listed Royal Shakespeare Theatre to make way for a new, more intimate building that will form the centrepiece of a £100m "theatre village".
The 20th Century Society said the RSC scheme would mean losing an architecturally significant building. Gavin Stamp, chairman of the conservation group, said: "It is a building of great importance in British architecture. It was designed by Elizabeth Scott and became the first building to be designed by a woman in modern times. I am very alarmed to hear that they wish to demolish it."
English Heritage said it was in favour of "imaginative remodelling" of the theatre, but stopped short of supporting demolition. A spokesman said no such proposal had been put to the body, and added: "That would be a severe test for us."
Mr Noble said he intended to show that demolishing the building and replacing it with a "theatre village" would benefit the community, a requirement for demolition of a listed building. He also stressed that the cavernous theatre, with its long, narrow auditorium, had been a problem since its inauguration in 1932. He said one of the actors in the opening performances had observed: "Standing on that stage was like being on the White Cliffs of Dover addressing Calais."
Putting the case for redevelopment, Mr Noble said: "I love the idea that people could arrive in the morning, take part in an education programme, have lunch in a fantastic restaurant, visit a costume exhibition, join a fight or voice workshop, and then in the evening see a show.
"If we are serious about turning a new generation of people on to theatre and Shakespeare, then we need to create new ways in to the experience. Making theatre more accessible, more welcoming and more lively throughout the day is a crucial part of the mix."
The RSC will submit a planning application to Stratford district council next year, and hopes to have its new "theatre village" complete by 2007-08. The Dutch architect Eric van Egeraat and the theatre consultant Iain Mackintosh are expected to complete their design for the complex by early summer next year.
Mr Mackintosh's previous projects include the design of the new Glyndebourne Theatre in East Sussex, and the Lowry Gallery in Salford, Greater Manchester. The RSC project is Mr van Egeraat's first big commission in Britain. His work on the Continent includes the IMG bank headquarters in Budapest and the Technical Library at the University of Delft in the Netherlands.
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