Behind the
Scenes Tour
Attention
all RSC Key members! A new discount is now available, with the ever popular
Behind the Scenes Tour of our unique theatres reduced to £3.50 exclusively for
Key members! This is a chance to go behind the curtain and discover the
intricacies of backstage goings-on, with all the knowledge of our experienced Tour
Guides at your disposal. We recently sent Kathryn, one of our Marketing
Interns, round the theatres in order to give you an insider’s experience of a
typical tour.
A trip behind the scenes is undoubtedly a treat for any theatre-lover,
but this one hour tour of both the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan
Theatre is definitely worth experiencing. Following the transformation of the
theatres in 2010, the new Front of House (where the tour begins) now boasts
some rather special features that could easily be missed without the tour, such
as the old stage flooring that ensures you quite literally tread the same
boards as many famous actors and actresses.
The first section of the tour takes you up to the third floor, where
floor to ceiling windows provide a fabulous view over Stratford-upon-Avon and
the RSC estate. From this vantage point it is possible to appreciate the
eclectic architectural style of theatres, from the gothic Swan Theatre to the newer
and more Art Deco RST. A further fascinating factor of this area includes the
strategically placed theatre seats high up on the wall of the rooftop restaurant,
giving you an idea of the height of the very back row of the upper circle
before the theatre’s transformation.
Moving into the backstage area of the RST, the tour allows you to become
privy to aspects such as the speaker layout of the entire theatre and even the
RST control room. The control room provides a particularly great insight into
the way a theatre like ours works. Home to the automation and lighting
controls, as well as the immensely important deputy stage manager’s desk, this
room overlooks the 1,040 seats of the RST auditorium – the best view in the
house, unless you have a fear of heights!
The maze of backstage corridors connects the two theatres together, so
the tour takes you directly from the RST into the Swan. It is in these areas
that you get to see the outstations used by actors during performances – these
are used both by the actors to confirm they are in position and by the deputy
stage manager to cue their entrances. It is often these elements that get
forgotten when you are swept up in watching a performance, but of course
without these the show would quite simply not go on.
If you’re lucky, and there are no rehearsals or events taking place, you
may also get to go into the Swan auditorium. For fans of the theatre’s history,
this point of the tour is a great opportunity to vocalise any and all questions
about the Swan’s background (such as the story of how it was funded, or its use
as a wartime canteen).
Returning to the labyrinth of corridors and rooms that make up the
backstage areas, the tour takes you past the dressing rooms that serve both
theatres, giving you a further glimpse into the actors’ surroundings. It must
be said, with warm floors and balconies overlooking the river, these rooms
banish all preconceptions of cold and draughty changing rooms stuck unceremoniously
in a basement area.
Throughout the tour there are always plenty of opportunities to ask questions
about the current and upcoming productions, and it is guaranteed that no two
tours will be the same. Without access to this kind of tour, visitors to the
RSC would definitely miss out on an all-round experience of the theatres, and
one that is both fascinating and educational. I urge you to take this
opportunity whilst you can!
Please note: as
the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon has two working theatres, tour destinations may
vary. For more information about our tours please click here.
