Designed by renowned theatre architects Foster Wilson, the Caryl Churchill Theatre was opened in 2013 with a special performance of Tim Crouch's 'my arm.' The whole theatre is fully accessible at all levels, and was shortlisted for a RIBA award in 2014.
The Caryl Churchill Theatre provides a flexible, well-lit and well-equipped space for lectures, seminars and practical study, as well as extra-curricular performances and other events.
The spacious stage area backs onto Workshop 2 for ease of set movement, and also features a Juliet balcony, allowing for the utilisation of spatial levels.
The auditorium is split over three levels; the flexible fold-out rake seats up to 122, with a further 56 in the gallery above, and all three floors are fully accessible.
The warm brickwork interior of the theatre is beautifully complemented by ten shuttered windows and a large skylight.
The third level is reserved for technical areas (including the Control Room) parallel with the two motorised trusses.
The theatre is equipped with the latest audio-visual and lighting equipment, managed by our own in-house team of technicians, offering versatility for both education and performance.
Foyer
The theatre features an entrance foyer for ease of access to the theatre, its surrounding rooms and the Katharine Worth Building.
The glass-walled front-of-house area offers a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside, and also features a small outdoor courtyard nestled between the theatre and the Katharine Worth Building.
Adjacent to the foyer is another flexible teaching space, which also contains a fully functioning bar and doubles up as a box office on performance evenings.
The foyer also contains a spacious lift that services all three levels of the theatre, allowing for maximum accessibility.
Backstage
The Caryl Churchill Theatre also houses two large dressing rooms, three shower rooms and toilets, providing amenities for performers backstage.
Environmental Sustainability
To help reduce the department’s carbon footprint, a 12 kW Solar PV array was installed during construction of the Caryl Churchill Theatre. The panels generate around 7680 kWh or energy each year, reducing our demand on conventional grid power. On a sunny day, the panels supply virtually all the power needed in the building, while exporting excess power to the grid. The green power we generate on site, reduces our carbon footprint by about 1.8 Tonnes each year.
The carbon saving figure is derived using the 2020 UK Government conversion factors
| Activity | Country | Unit | Year | kg CO2e | kg CO2 | kg CH4 | kg N2O |
| Electricity generated | UK | kWh | 2020 | 0.23314 | 0.23104 | 0.00072 | 0.00138 |
7680 x 0.23314 = 1,790.51 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
When the window shutters are open, the theatre can stage performances using natural lighting, which is very energy efficient.
The theatre industry in general is making great strides in the area of Environmental Sustainability. One aspiration in the department is to replace the current lights with more energy efficient LED lighting.
Gallery
Caryl Churchill Theatre raked seating
