Work in Progress
May 2009
The completed repairs to the outside of the Theatre Royal. To improve weather protection, masonry dating from 1766 has been carefully cleaned, and where necessary repaired and rendered.
The smooth light grey surface is the fresh render, which covers the more vulnerable areas of the mix of rock, stone and early cement that make up the wall, which can still be seen in the lower and nearer sections of the wall.
March 2009
The flytower is one of the most exposed parts of the entire Complex, and over time has developed ‘Concrete Cancer.’ This is a recognised problem in concrete structures, especially in cold and wet areas, and is caused by water seeping into tiny cracks in the concrete, and making them gradually larger as it freezes and defrosts.
The repair process involves filling in all the cracks then sealing the surface to prevent water penetration.
The section of wall behind the scaffolding is part of the original exterior wall of the Theatre Royal. The grey staircase leads from a Fire Exit, which you may have noticed on your left just before you enter the Stalls or Dress Circle. The sections of grey brickwork seen to the left and right of the Theatre Royal are from the 1970’s redevelopment – the left section is the stage and flytower.
This architects composite photograph shows the poor state of repair of the outer wall of the Theatre Royal. It has been labelled to show older and more recent cracks, and the discoloration and water damage to the concrete upper section is clear to see!
The Theatre Royal has been redecorated many times during the last 240 years to follow different tastes and fashions. Colour schemes have also changed to match different lighting sources – different colours look better under candle, gas or electric light.
This panel was uncovered by experts who have been investigating the Theatre Royal to try and determine exactly how it would have appeared down the centuries.
January 2009
To make periodic redecoration easier, much of the intricate plaster and woodwork around the Theatre Royal was designed to be easily removed and replaced for repainting.
Here a consultant can be seen removing a panel from the front of the Upper Circle in order to take samples of the paintwork.
These sections of panelling show the chipped, stained and damaged paintwork in the Theatre Royal. As part of the redevelopment, the Theatre Royal will be thoroughly refurbished, and all the beautiful gilding, moulding and woodwork repaired and restored.
November 2008
As the planned extensions to the Complex will place more weight on the foundations, it’s important to know how solid the ground beneath our feet really is – especially as we’re built on former marshland!
This drill (see also the main image at the top of the page) bored straight down to produce a ‘core’ of earth for analysis. Cores were taken from around the Complex (both inside and outside), and in some places went as deep as 30 metres (that’s considerably taller than the Coopers’ Hall!)