Charcoalblue Designing for Performance

This book charts a twenty-year period in theatre design that maps the growth of large-scale adaptable theatre through Charcoalblue’ s work, alongside the world's leading architects. From the remaking of London’ s Young Vic Theatre in the mid-2000s, through larger scale projects for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House and many other cultural organisations worldwide, the practice have provided specialist expertise. Highly illustrated with photos and drawings, the book includes sections on adaptable theatres, temporary spaces, anti-culture palaces, theatrical transformations, and hidden gems. Each case study provides insightful analysis. There are sections which focus on updating historic theatres and creating performance spaces for leading academic institutions. The book also includes useful technical sections which focus on acoustics, digital environments and even a section which discusses developing seating.

Hugh Pearman was the architecture and design critic for The Sunday Times for 30 years and the editor of the RIBA Journal. His previous books include About Architecture (YUP, 2023), Cullinan Studio in the 21st Century (Lund Humphries, 2020), Equilibrium: the work of Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners (Phaidon, 2000), Airports: a century of architecture (Laurence King, 2004) and Contemporary World Architecture (Phaidon, 1998). He writes widely, including for Architectural Record in the United States. He is an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA and in 2019 he was made an MBE for services to architecture.

Foreword by David Lan. Introduction. 1. Adaptable Theatres. Aside: developing a seat; 2. Temporary Theatres. Aside: Liverpool Everyman; 3. Against the Culture Palace; 4. Theatrical Transformations; 5. Hidden Gems; 6. Crazy Adventures; 7. Two Grandes Dames; 8. Academic Powerhouses; 9. Of Sound Mind; 10. CBX Parallel Universe