Plans have been unveiled to create a new community venue at the Theatre Royal Bath.
The Theatre Royal Bath in Sawclose | Photo © Nigel Jarvis / Shutterstock.com
‘Venue 4’ will be a flexible, accessible, space specifically geared to providing a facility for local community groups, theatre professionals, amateurs and visitors.
It will be created by carefully re-organising internal space, say the applications seeking planning permission and listed building consent which have been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The theatre itself is Grade II* listed and was built in 1805. The main house has a capacity of around 900 seats. The Egg, a children’s theatre, was added in 2005 with a capacity of 120 and the Ustinov Studio was added in 2010 and has a capacity of around 125.
To these three venues and their supporting facilities, it is proposed that a fourth venue will be added with a capacity for around 40 people.
The site for it lies within buildings along St John’s Place, within the theatre’s existing footprint.
External alterations are proposed along St John’s Place to provide access.
The foyer is located where the lower part of the Egg offices now sit, the entrance corridor to the 1805 rooms and underused storage space off the corridor.
The venue will be accessed via the foyer for the public and through a lobby from backstage.
The venue will have an accessible dressing room with en-suite accessible WC and shower room. The dressing room will connect to the rest of the back of house. The existing space includes underutilised offices and store cupboards.
On the first floor, new offices will be created in the former 1805 main dining room, which is no longer used, and is now vacant space with no public benefit.
A report accompanying the planning application says: “The beauty of Venue 4 is that it will be able to operate independently of the other venues whilst being able to take advantage of the theatre’s current circulation, systems, facilities and staff expertise in order to provide a supportive space for a wide variety of local groups as well as visiting professionals and amateurs.
“Workshops and rehearsals will use the Venue 4 room for amplified and non-amplified drama, speech, role play and dance, or for lectures, seminars, courses and classes.”
It is said the proposals will result in a minor loss of historic fabric having a “negligible impact” overall.
The overarching aim of the project is to secure the long-term future of the Theatre Royal site by preserving the existing listed buildings for the enjoyment and historic understanding of current and future generations, enabling as many people as possible to enjoy and use the facilities.
The name of Venue 4 is yet to be confirmed but it is hoped it will be created next year, subject to the plans being approved.
The planning reference is 24/03019/FUL. The consultation on the plans ends on 13th September.
