Arcadia, Sir Tom Stoppard’s celebrated play, transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre this summer in a new production directed by Carrie Cracknell, required a reconfiguration of one of the West End’s most storied theatres into the round.
Theatre in the round is a staging format where the audience surrounds the performance space on all sides, rather than facing it from one direction as in a traditional theatre. It’s an immersive, intimate way to stage a production — and something of a departure from how most West End venues are typically built.
The Challenge: A Historic Theatre, Reimagined
The Duke of York’s is a traditional proscenium-arch theatre. Transforming it to in-the-round staging meant rethinking the relationship between stage and audience, while working within the constraints of a classical building.
Steeldeck supplied the tiered seating risers wrapping around the circular playing space, giving every member of the audience a clear, intimate view of the action.
The Build: Tiered Seating to Match the Stage
The tiered seating risers needed to follow the curve of the new circular stage, while integrating with the existing architecture of the auditorium. Built using our modular staging Steeldeck components, the tiered seating was configured to create a continuous sweep around the performance space, finished to a standard fitting for a major West End production.
The result is a blend of contemporary and classic — gilded balconies framing a close, theatre-in-the-round staging configuration.
Why Modular Staging Works for Productions Like This
Reconfiguring a historic auditorium is never straightforward. Modular staging gives productions the flexibility to reshape a space entirely — without permanent alteration to the building. With theatre productions, installations are always temporary and bespoke to the production.
The Result
Arcadia opens at the Duke of York’s Theatre on 20th June, running for a strictly limited 12-week season — a reinvention of a much-loved London theatre, bringing audiences closer to one of Stoppard’s most celebrated works.
Working on a production that needs tiered seating or a bespoke theatre in the round staging solution? Get in touch to discuss your project.