Derngate

Built by the Borough Council in the early 1980s adjacent to the Royal Theatre as a multi-purpose venue. The Derngate is entered from Guidhall Road through a 2006 extension, which provides a shared foyer, box-office and cafe for both venues. The stage door and level street "get in" facilities are from the Derngate itself. The auditorium of the Derngate represents a marked advance in the planning of a multi-purpose hall. The Derngate interior can be transformed into a number of different forms whether of a traditional concert hall, banqueting hall, boxing venue, exhibition space or theatre but in any form, it is a pleasing experience. The basic permanent furniture comprises two deep balconies with an arrangement of boxes on either side to form a horseshoe. The four permanent vertical boxes, two each side of the balconies, are deep and will hold up to sixteen people in four rows. Nearer the proscenium, the moveable complex of box units is more shallow. When not required the boxes are stored backstage. Adaptability comes with having a ground floor which can be either raked or level with easily movable stage and box units. When set into a particular mode, the whole interior has an air of permanency. The Derngate boxes are a welcome return to re-establishing a traditional theatre atmosphere. The rear of the stalls seating ends below the first balcony. This, together with the deep boxes gives the air of a large Georgian auditorium. The permanent auditorium ceiling is formed of intersecting beams at right angles forming oblong spaces above which are accessible lighting bridges. The control room for light and sound is at the rear of the first balcony. At the front of the stage is a hydraulically operated orchestra pit which can be covered to form a forestage. The proscenium is made up of two steel fire resistant walls which are capable of sliding horizontally to link with the safety curtain. When not required they are moved off opening up a larger expanse. House tabs and pelmet can be flown out if required. For functions not requiring the lyric stage, stage space is filled with the remainder of the box units thereby encircling the activity taking place in the middle. The fly tower not only accommodates scenery but also stores the concert ceiling which is capable of being folded into sections. Thirteen dressing rooms are available backstage. The fly tower has 41 double purchase counterweight sets and also stores the concert ceiling. In October 1999 Royal & Derngate Theatres was formed to run the Derngate with the adjacent Royal Theatre. The two theatres had previously been run by separate charitable trusts. In 2006, at the time of the restoration of the Theatre Royal and the construction of the shared foyer space, the Derngate’s auditorium was reseated and repainted, the new paintwork being reactive to certain light conditions allowing the colour of the auditorium to change.