Theatre Types
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Arena Theatre
A theatre in the round, arena theatre or central staging is a space for theatre where the audience surrounds the stage. Arena theatres have central stage areas with audiences on all sides, similar to theatres-in-the-round. The stage area is rectangular, more like a sports arena, with tiered seating. An in-the-round stage is at the centre of the audience in a circular formation. The audience feel included and an intimate atmosphere is created. Having one end visible to all provides a ‘back’ to the stage. Sight lines can still be an issue. -
Black-Box Theatres
Black-box or studio theatres are flexible spaces which stripped to basics are a single black painted room. Usually these spaces allow temporary setups of seating to enable productions to be presented. The term black box comes from the black painted room appearance of anyplace since these theatres use limited props.
Historical Theatres
Shakespeare called his theatre a ‘wooden O’. Like his historic playhouse our Globe Theatre is a 360° auditorium. With no roof over the central yard, it is open-air and audiences told to dress for the weather! On 29 June 1613, a cannon misfired during Henry VIII and set fire to the Globe Theatre thatch, engulfing the roof in flames. Within minutes, the wooden structure was alight, and in under an hour the Globe was destroyed.
Types of Circular Venues
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped. It is composed of a large open space surrounded by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is the event space is the lowest point, allowing maximum visibility.