Flexible, comfortable seating solution for the RSC
When the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) prepared to mark the 25th anniversary re-mount of Sarah Kane’s final play 4:48 Psychosis, their Technical Director, Anna Fox, approached Steeldeck Rentals for a seating solution for The Other Place, the company’s most intimate performance venue in Stratford-upon-Avon.
With increasing demand for flexible layouts in this space, the brief was to install a temporary end-on seating that could be installed and removed quickly, without compromising safety or comfort. Working closely with Production Manager Kurt Moores, our team explored a range of design options to integrate the venue’s seating stock with Steeldeck’s tiered decks and a pit-infill system.
The project presented a number of challenges, including strict floor loading limitations in certain parts of the venue and a short turnaround window for removing the seating at the end of the run.
Our solution was a bespoke bracing design that addressed the floor loading restrictions while allowing installation and removal without disturbing the Steeldeck pit-infill. We opted to use our newly acquired flip-up theatre seats, which are lighter, comfortable and perfectly suited to this type of seating installation.
The result was a flexible, practical seating solution that enhanced audience comfort and delivered on the RSC’s technical and logistical requirements.
At Steeldeck Rentals, our project managers have a wide range of experience designing tiered seating for theatres, television, and live events across the UK. Each project brings its own challenges, and we pride ourselves on creating bespoke designs that deliver the best possible outcome for our clients.
