Courtyard Theatre

The Courtyard Theatre was a temporary theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon built to keep the Royal Shakespeare Company’s work going while its main buildings were rebuilt. It stood on the site of the old studio theatre, The Other Place, and was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects. Construction took only eleven months and the building opened in August 2006. Its steel structure housed a 1,048-seat thrust stage where actors performed in the round. The theatre also served as a full-scale test for the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre auditorium. Awards followed in 2007, including a National RIBA Award and a Stratford-on-Avon design prize. The Courtyard Theatre’s purpose was to maintain performances during the £112.8 million transformation of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres between 2007 and 2010. It hosted the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions while the main houses were closed. The last RSC show there was the musical Matilda in January 2010. After the main theatres reopened in November 2010, the Courtyard continued in use for the World Shakespeare Festival during the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Its temporary planning permission lasted until the end of 2012. Visitors found a modern steel building with a large open stage that put the audience close to the action. The auditorium’s sightlines, acoustics and seating comfort were carefully studied during its run. The space felt temporary yet fully equipped for professional productions. Today the steel shell remains, now housing the reinstated 200-seat studio theatre called The Other Place. The courtyard’s brief life left a lasting mark on Stratford’s theatre quarter.