Types of theatre
• West End
• TIE – Theatre in Education
• Circus
• Site Specific
• Immersive
• Digital
• Touring
Stage layots
Stage Layouts allow you to make a diagram of where different people should be on your stage.
Proscenium Arch (end on) – In a proscenium arch theatre, the audience all sit facing the same way. The stage is often raised and the audience usually sit in raked seating, meaning that drapes and large pieces of scenery can be used without obstructing sightlines .
Arena Theatre/Theatre in the round – Arena theatres are large scale auditoria and have a central stage area with audiences on all sides, similar to theatres in-the-round. The stage area is usually rectangular, more like a sports arena, with tiered seating.
Thrust stage – in theatre, a Thrust stage (also known as a platform stage or open stage) is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end.
Traverse stage – a Traverse stage is long and narrow with the audience sitting on either side, like a catwalk. As with theatre in the round, the audience can see each other, which helps to remind them that they are at the theatre and immerse them in the action on stage.
Promenade theatre – when the audience move from place to place during the performance. This is a popular device used by various modern practitioners.
Proscenium arch
• Provides a clear ‘forth wall’ for actors
• Good sightlines for all audience
• TV style viewing
• Wing space each side
• Can fly in scenery
• Can do front cloth scenes
• Easy to light and ideal for using followspots
• Limited contact for audience
• Can be difficult vocally for actors
• Can use orchestra pit
Thrust stage/Traverse stage
• ‘forth wall’ on three sides
• Greater intimacy than proscenium – can let audience feel part of action
• Vocally better for actors
• Difficult to direct as they may have back to audience
• Backstage areas more limited for getting scenery on and off
• Sightlines with furniture and scenery could be problematic
• Difficult to light without catching audiences
Arena stage
• Very intimate
• Audience very much part of the play
• Vocally less challenging for actors
• Challenging to light
• Props very close to audience so must be accurate
• May have sightline issues with set/furniture
• Difficult to get scenery on and off
• Challenging to direct to include all audience
• No‘backstage’area
• Can be intimidating for actors
Promenade theatre
• Geographically cover a large area
• Need to think about setting up scenes
• Need to have clear focus and direction for audience – may require extra staffing
• No backstage area so everyone in view
• Audience very close to action
What is the difference between producing and receiving theatre?
The shows that are produced are then shown at that theatre or sent to others which do not produce their own material (known as receiving houses). Some theatres may produce some of their own shows, but also rent its facilities to shows produced elsewhere. These venues are both "producing" and "receiving" houses.
Producing theatre
• Produce its own shows ‘in house’
• Uses the skills of their staff in all production departments for set, costume, wigs, props etc
• The theatre's Artistic Director will choose the plays for each season
• Theatre will often have its own rehearsal rooms for companies to
rehears on site
Receiving Theatre
• Will ‘receive’ shows that have been produced elsewhere
• These include west end theatre venues that will receive regional shows from producing houses for wider audience and success