The Grade II listed Whitehall Theatre was constructed in 1930 as a conventional two level auditorium. Working with Jaques Muir and Partners, we have created an intimate and informal open-stage space that is unusual in West End proscenium theatres.
Listed building consent was granted for a limited time period, which meant that changes have to be easily reversible with minimum impact on the Art Deco interior.
In Studio 1 the original circle front was removed and the rake of the circle extended forward by 4 rows to meet a new raised stage projecting into the auditorium. The original stalls level, below the circle, has been converted to form Studio 2, a small 100-seat space, with new dressing rooms to serve it provided below the main stage. Studio 1 opened to critical acclaim with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of ‘Othello’, which transferred from the Swan Theatre in Stratford. Both spaces have proved extremely popular since opening and have remained in their revised configuration.
Foster Wilson Size are currently working on a new major multi-million pound restoration project of the theatre. This will include a new single auditorium and the venue being reinstated back to its original heritage design, with all new seats, an enhanced customer experience throughout, incorporating a new stalls bar, new spacious foyer and improvements to the toilets. The theatre is scheduled to open Summer 2021.
