Project overview

Theatre Royal Plymouth

Location: Plymouth, UK

Theatre Royal Plymouth is the largest regional producing theatre in the UK, home to three performance spaces: The Lyric, The Drum and The Lab. Together, these venues host a diverse programme of productions throughout the year, including musicals, drama, dance and ballet.

In 2021, Theatre Royal Plymouth embarked on the refurbishment of The Drum, its intimate and flexible performance space. The existing seating had become tired and outdated, and the theatre sought a modern solution that would improve audience comfort, maximise flexibility and enhance the overall visitor experience.

Solution
The original seating arrangement in The Drum consisted of 146 seats configured in seven rows. This layout meant audience members often had to disturb others when accessing their seats, impacting the overall experience.
Working closely with Theatre Royal Plymouth, we developed a solution that maintained the venue's seating capacity while significantly improving accessibility and audience flow.

We installed a Seatway TP-R recessed retractable seating system, allowing the seating to retract seamlessly into a dedicated wall pocket when not in use. This provides the venue with maximum flexibility, enabling the space to be quickly adapted for different types of performances and events.

To further optimise the space, we made use of the previously underutilised balcony area by installing 48 fixed Space Max-L luxury seats. The addition of balcony seating allowed us to redesign the retractable seating layout, creating a more efficient and comfortable configuration.

The new arrangement incorporates two aisles, dividing the retractable seating into three sections. This significantly reduces disruption to seated audience members and improves access throughout the auditorium. A dedicated Row 0 was added at the front of the retractable seating bank, helping to optimise capacity. To further increase flexibility, we also supplied portable Logix chairs, enabling the theatre to adapt seating arrangements to suit a variety of performances and events.

The project also included a range of supporting features to enhance safety, accessibility and appearance, including:

• Removable handrails
• Removable drapes
• Front safety rails
• Integrated LED aisle lighting
• Integrated LED aisle letters

The completed refurbishment has transformed The Drum into a more flexible, comfortable and audience-friendly performance space, ensuring it continues to meet the needs of Theatre Royal Plymouth for years to come.