Rose Theatre, Kingston

The Rose Theatre stands on Kingston High Street in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. It is a modern playhouse with 822 seats arranged around a wide thrust stage. The design copies the Elizabethan Rose Theatre but adds a roof and comfortable seats. Kingston University helped organise the building work alongside Peter Hall and local supporters. The shell of the building came free from St George plc as part of a riverside development. The theatre opened in January 2008 with a production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya directed by Sir Peter Hall. Hall had already staged As You Like It in the unfinished building in 2004. The Rose has since won a community award and Hall received the Moscow Art Theatre Golden Seagull prize. It is supported by the Royal Borough and Kingston University, though not by Arts Council England. Many well-known actors have appeared on its stage, including Judi Dench, Timothy West and Joely Richardson. Visitors find a shallow thrust stage surrounded by stalls and circle seats. The auditorium was refurbished to include extra seating in the pit area. Productions range from Shakespeare to Christmas shows like The Snow Queen and Zog. Kingston University holds its graduation ceremonies here each summer. The theatre’s programme mixes classic plays with new writing and family entertainment.