ISSUE #33 AUTUMN 12 The Hippodrome: Restoring a London landmark Community Assets — Theatres at Risk 2012 A sustainable future for Hoxton Hall Ecovenue Showcase: KX Platform Theatre, London Protecting theatres for everyone 2 9 The Hippodrome: Restoring a London landmark 2–5 Front cover photo: The dramatic head figure which forms the Community Assets – Theatres at Risk 2012 6–9 centrepiece of the cartouche topping the A sustainable future for Hoxton Hall 10–11 proscenium arch at the London Hippodrome © Locker & Riley Showcase: KX Platform Theatre 13–16 Theatres Magazine is edited by Paul Connolly. Ecovenue 18–21 © 2012 The Theatres Trust Charitable Fund. All unsigned or otherwise uncredited articles are the work of the Editor. The views expressed & editorially or by correspondents in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Trust. Notes, Theatres Round-up 22–23 queries and letters are always welcome. Current Casework 24–25 ISSN: 1759-7668 Reading Matter 26–27 Designed by www.vincentdesign.co.uk Photo diary 28 Printed by Wyndeham Gait Limited Dates for your diary 28 Advertising sales: Nicola Rowland " ! !!! # ! Photo: David Jensen HIPPODROME, LONDON NATIONAL SKILLS ACADEMY, THURROCK NEW VENUE BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE The 200-seat Matcham Room is an intimate A new state-of-the-art training facility for new performance space which has been the entertainment industry, this building AUDIO inserted into the stagehouse of this Grade will deliver industry-endorsed training for II listed theatre and hosts ‘Live at the young people & professionals from the world Hippodrome’. Charcoalblue led the designs of theatre and live music. Charcoalblue for the flexible seating and stage areas and provided strategic input into the masterplan, designed the technical systems throughout and detailed planning and technical design LIGHT the venue. services to the project. BRISTOL OLD VIC CHARCOALBLUE REFURBISHMENT Charcoalblue has collaborated with Andrzej Charcoalblue remains the brightest and LTD Blonski Architects to refurbish this historic most innovative theatre and acoustic SYSTEMS 1780’s Georgian theatre. The scope of the consultancy in the UK. We are inspired by project has included increasing comfort a passion for all types of performance, and and improving sightlines for audience, new we bring a unique blend of collaboration and technical systems throughout the building commitment to all our projects. We enjoy and new rehearsal and ancillary spaces. what we do - and people seem to enjoy working with us too! ‘A HEARTBREAKER...’ DIONNE WARWICK LIVE AT THE HIPPODROME www.AudioLightSystems.com CBL Theatres Magazine - DRAFT 17 Aug 12.indd 1 17/08/2012 14:08:44 Openings Mhora Samuel Director It’s been quite a summer (Olympics One of the theatres on the 2012 TBAR is Our conference broadened out the discussion and Paralympics not withstanding) the Cochrane Theatre. It is due to be on sustainability to include economic, social and we have another full issue of TM demolished for a hotel development at a and environmental issues associated with for you to digest. For us it started with future date. Whilst we are concerned over the triple bottom line. We’ll also be publishing our conference at Stratford Circus in the loss of the Cochrane given its central the Conference Report written by Jo Caird June, followed not long afterwards by Holborn location on the fringe of Theatreland, in September. Hayley White, Group Director the announcement of our 2012 Theatre we are pleased that a replacement theatre at Hoxton Hall, one of the participants in Buildings at Risk register in July. In the was provided by Central Saint Martin’s, the the Ecovenue project picks up on their triple same month the London Hippodrome Cochrane’s former owner, on its new campus bottom line approach in her introduction to opened to the public as the Hippodrome at Kings Cross. Theatre Consultant, Andrew their three phase redevelopment programme, Casino. Reopening this landmark building Stone of Drama by Design describes the work which includes environmental improvements, in the heart of Leicester Square was a his company undertook to deliver the new new and improved educational facilities, major exercise as it involved significant KX Platform Theatre, which opened in historic restoration and plans for a new capital restoration and reinstatement of the November 2011. development to drive increased earned income original Matcham interior. Plasterwork and support their long term viability. specialist, Locker & Riley, was engaged At our annual conference, ‘Delivering to restore the plasterwork of the London Sustainable Theatres’ on the 12 June at Each year we take a stand at the PLASA Hippodrome and in our lead article its Stratford Circus, Tim Atkinson, the Trust’s Show at Earls Court to increase awareness director Jon Riley describes how they Theatre Building Services Adviser gave a of the Trust’s work and at this year’s show approached the work. special presentation on the Ecovenue project. we’ll be publishing the ‘Delivering Sustainable The project will end on the 30 September Theatres’ Conference Report together Our 2012 Theatre Buildings at Risk register and we’ll be publishing an evaluation report with ‘Evaluating Ecovenue’, a report which was published on the 5 July. Once again this in September. Here Tim gives us a flavour summarises the work we’ve be engaged received much publicity, particularly given the of his conference presentation and the with over the last three years. Our opening Government’s new emphasis on promoting Display Energy Certificate findings arising to a busy autumn ahead. assets of community value in the Localism from the project. Act 2011. The Trust’s Planning & Heritage Adviser, Mark Price reports on this year’s list and some of the opportunities for theatres to be reopened once again. AUDIO LIGHT SYSTEMS LTD www.AudioLightSystems.com All photos © Locker & Riley (except where noted) The Hippodrome Restoring a London landmark Jon Riley of plasterwork The Hippodrome Casino opened in July 2012. featuring performing animals including horses, Back in the summer of 2010 Locker & Riley snakes, polar bears and elephants. It was specialists Locker & Riley was approached by the new owners of the subsequently converted for use as a variety describes the company’s London Hippodrome to reinstate the theatre’s theatre in 1909, when the proscenium arch extensive plasterwork as part of the ambitious was moved forward and the stage enlarged. work on the reinstatement restoration of this Grade II listed London Sadly, during the late 1950s, when of the decorative features landmark. Although the building was being the theatre was converted once again most brought back to life as a casino rather than of the original decorative plasterwork was of the London Hippodrome. as a theatre, it was nevertheless encouraging destroyed. Such was the extent of internal to hear that the whole volume of the structural alterations when the Hippodrome auditorium was to be reopened and became the Talk of the Town, a cabaret that the owners were keen to exploit restaurant, that the project was christened the building’s theatrical history. ‘Operation Pickaxe’. The auditorium was As many Theatres Magazine readers will ravaged and the majority of the original be aware, the London Hippodrome opened in plasterwork destroyed. 1900 as a hippodrome, or circus, for Edward With little remaining evidence of existing Moss. Designed by Frank Matcham, the venue plasterwork and only a handful of historic included vast water tanks and played host photographs, researching the architect Frank to a number of Victorian water spectacles, Matcham’s original designs proved to be 2 AUTUMN 2012 Theatres Magazine a huge challenge. Historical evidence was digital artwork with plaster enrichments Area 3 Beam casings to the auditorium pulled from every available source to provide should funds permit. The final approach ceiling the basis of the reinstatement scheme. was classified into four categories. Area 4 Minstrels’ gallery ceiling We were invited to attend meetings These being: Area 5 Function deck (gallery) ceiling with Cadmium Designs (the lead architect) Type A Area 6 Friezes and existing decorative to establish the best method of conservation Existing fibrous plasterwork elements features to the upper balcony and repair. Given the dilapidation and remaining on site to be cleaned, patch Area 7 Diminished coves creating arches destruction of the original interior, it was repaired as necessary and decorated to the monogram cartouches found clear that a significant amount of the Type B to the upper balcony level decorative plasterwork would have to New fibrous plasterwork elements to be Area 8 Mouldings and clasp details to be entirely recreated. To this end, after developed from squeeze impressions taken the monogram arches extensive consultation with The Theatres from existing adjacent plaster details (Type A) Area 9 Columns to the proscenium arch Trust, Westminster City Council and reproduced to match in seamlessly Area 10 Scroll to the upper balcony English Heritage, together with Alan Type C Area 11 Upper and lower balcony fronts Baxter & Associates (the client’s historic New fibrous plaster elements as inspired incorporating cartouches, architraves restoration consultant), an approach by existing features or historic photographs. and rinceau mouldings and plan were formulated. Sympathetic recreations of elements visible Area 12 Column and headers forming the The overriding approach was to from photographic