Work was recently finished on an extensive restoration project of The Theatre Royal in Brighton after the decision was made for the site to undergo a much-needed restoration.
Commissioned by the Ambassador Theatre Group, the project started in 2023 and over the last 17 months, the columns and balconies that comprise the colonnade façade on the New Road side of the building have been excruciatingly recreated and rebuilt by the superior craftspeople at Hathern Terra Cotta (HTC). HTC’s team created an impressive 1551 terracotta units of 124 different shapes to facilitate the complete replacement of the theatre’s external colonnades. Pier bases, decorative and fluted columns with capitals, soffits, modillions, cornices, and parapet walls with feature panels were all created with a high level of expertise. HTC was chosen for its ability to properly manage the enormous scale of the work proposed and due to demonstrating its decades of proficiency with a high attention to detail, to ensure its updated appearance could help to reinvigorate the theatre.
Established in 1807, Theatre Royal has an incredible history of hosting events, with its inaugural production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” opening on June 26th of that year, with the theatre in almost continuous operation since then. Partial repairs conducted in the following 200+ years have often led to a subtle loss of detail, such as when the promenade was painted over, however, this most recent round of restoration has achieved the incredible target of bringing those details back, as well as laying the groundwork for another 200 years of entertaining its guests. The plans drawn by architects Pawlik + Wiedmer carefully considered the work done over the site’s lifetime and made efforts to ensure the site’s continued success.
As England’s third oldest surviving purpose-built theatre, the site holds a listed status due to its rare circumstances and centuries of historic interest. Ensuring that the Royals’ original heritage was embraced and reintroduced in certain areas was vital to the project’s success, with Hathern Terra Cotta creating an incredible array of intricately detailed pieces.
David Maddocks, Business Development Manager at Hathern Terra Cotta was enthusiastic about the level of quality that the team had imbibed into the project:
“We are delighted to have been involved in such a prestigious restoration project and it is great to see the terracotta colonnade returned to its former glory. Our team thoroughly researched the site to ensure that all of its history, quirks and aesthetics were embraced and realised in the restoration. We are incredibly proud of the work done and look forward to seeing it for many decades to come”.
For more information on Hathern Terra Cotta, click here.
