The Tricycle Theatre will increase the size of its auditorium by 25% in a major £5.5 million capital development project that will transform the theatre by 2017.
Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham announced the plans for the popular Kilburn venue this week, saying: “This vital upgrade will help us to secure the Tricycle’s future and enable us to realise our ambitious vision by ensuring our venue is truly accessible and open to all.”
Leading the project is the ambition to make the theatre as welcoming to all as possible, adding more than 50 seats to the auditorium and increasing the number of permanent wheelchair accessible seats from two to eight.
Excitingly, the new seating will also allow the venue to transform from its current formation to in-the-round, cabaret and traverse configurations offering productions a greater freedom in whole they are staged.
The project will also create a new café on Kilburn High Street, improve front of house facilities and rejuvenated backstage areas.
Commenting on the forthcoming redesign, Adrian Lester, an ambassador for the Tricycle Theatre and star of the venue’s forthcoming West End transfer of its hit production Red Velvet, pledged his support, saying: “Under the leadership of Indhu Rubasingham, the Tricycle has blossomed as a venue in and for the community whilst proving itself as an incredible production powerhouse which rivals any UK theatre venue.
“I am delighted to be supporting this campaign that will lead to the transformation of the auditorium, with increased capacity, improved sightlines, greater accessibility and a better experience for both audiences and actors alike.”
The theatre has been awarded £3.1 million from Arts Council England with a public campaign to raise the additional funds to be announced soon.
The work, which will be undertaken by Chapman Waterworth will begin later this year for completion in 2017 and the theatre will happily continue to present work throughout the process.