Summary
Theatre, opened in April 1975 and designed by R W Hallam of the London Borough of Havering architects office with N W T Brooks as project architect.
Reasons for Designation
Queens Theatre in Hornchurch, Essex, opened in 1975, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a well-designed and stylistically strong example of a 1970s theatre which makes a strong contribution to its setting and continues in use as designed;
* for the survival of its character and design as built, with few alterations and retention of the key internal spaces;
* as a surviving example of the 1970s design philosophy for theatres with a thrust stage which provided a closer link between performers and audience and gave the whole auditorium a clear view of the stage;
* for its setting as part of a civic quarter.
Historic interest:
* as a good example of a local authority designed and built town theatre which were very popular at the time and of which few examples survive without significant change;
* as evidence of how social change in the late C20 was reflected in theatre design and function.
History
In the post-war era, and in the context of reconstruction and the provision of better urban and municipal services, many urban centres were provided with ‘cultural quarters’ which included libraries, concert halls and theatres. These were often combined with enlarged municipal offices and other public services such as police and fire stations. The theatre was also given an open setting, standing next to a small public park.
The current Queens Theatre building replaces a former theatre also called the Queen’s. This was opened in the same year as Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and named so for that reason. That building originated as a cinema which was built in 1913. It was used as a storage depot during the Second World War, first for medical supplies and latterly for furniture removed from bombed buildings. The building was compulsorily purchased after the war and in 1950 the Hornchurch Theatre Trust was formed and took on the project of converting the building into a theatre. The theatre was home to the first professional theatre company to be established by a local authority. The converted building closed in 1970 because of structural problems and was subsequently demolished.
The decision was taken to construct a new theatre in a different location and the current building, located in an urban yet green setting on Billet Lane, and grouped with other civic buildings, is a reflection of the trend for civic theatres which was increasingly prevalent at the time, beginning with Frederick Gibberd’s civic square in Harlow, Essex; other examples include the Reading Hexagon and most notably the Sheffield Crucible. The building was designed by R W Hallam and N W T Brooks of the Havering borough Architects Office and the cost was £750,000. It was built at a time of budgetary constraint and during the three-day week. The theatre was opened by Sir Peter Hall, Director of the National Theatre, on 2 April 1975 in a large ceremony accompanied by the Romford Drum and Trumpet Band. The theatre retains photographs from the event, and it is recalled by the plaque unveiled on the day. The building remains in use as a theatre and has been the home of several productions which went on to have successful runs in London. While the theatre continues to be mostly used for live theatre performances it is also on occasion used to screen films. The Queen and Prince Philip visited the building in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the theatre on its original site. This is also commemorated with a plaque retained by the theatre.
The building has recently undergone refurbishment, and other changes include alteration of the former bar area to form a learning space and the translocation of the bar to the foyer area to improve access. Other changes include replacement of original doors with fire safe units, and replacement of the office windows. The roof covering for the sides of the auditorium have also been replaced with tiles of similar appearance to the originals which remain on the entrance frontage.
Details
Theatre, opened in 1975 and designed by R W Hallam and N W T Brooks as project architect, of the London Borough of Havering Architect's office.
MATERIALS: the building is constructed of blue and buff engineering brick, set on a concrete beam substructure with glazed panels and steel beams topped by veneer fascias forming the remaining exterior walls. The roof structure is of braced steel trusses and is covered with a slate roof to the auditorium and a bitumen felt roof to the remainder of the building.
PLAN: the building has an overall L Plan, with the main block a large rectangle, with a projecting wing to the south, the main doorway is accessed via an off-centre canopied entrance way projecting from the west elevation.
EXTERIOR: the main entrance is in the west elevation and is reached by a flat-roofed canopy extending over a concrete stairway with chunky square profile railings. All the other entrances to the building above the plinth are via stairs with similar railings. The entrance is a pair of double metal framed and glazed doors giving access to the foyer. The elevation is composed of tall glazed panels of smoked glass resting on a thick white painted concrete base and set between I-profile vertical steel beams which reach over the lower horizontal band and reach up nearly to the top to a thick white fascia above with a further narrow band to the edge to the roof. This is all cantilevered out over a podium of blue bricks laid in stretcher bond and with raked pointing.
To the side of the entrance is a low wall with a LED lit sign of orange letters stating QUEENS THEATRE. The north and south elevations have the same large glazed panels set within vertical I-profile steel beams which stretch eastward the length of the public foyer within. The remainder of the elevation, demarking the backstage and office areas, is of buff brick also set within vertical steel beams which creates a consistent rhythm of vertical subdivisions. There is a double leaf door to the foyer at the edge of the glazed section and there are two narrow horizontal bands of windows to the left of the north elevation demarking the offices and dressing rooms.
The slope of the land southwards creates a higher plinth to the easr elevation and there are louvered ventilation panels for plant and air conditioning spaces. The rear (east) elevation is not glazed but has the same brick infilled vertical panels set between steel beams. There is a secondary access stair to the right of the elevation which leads to the stage door and gives access to the offices and dressing rooms and rehearsal spaces. The elevation is part glazed to the left of the door and there is a further two leaf doorway off centre to the left.
The south elevation has a projecting section to the right which has a full height roller door within one of the panels and a door to the right with glazed panel above filling the remainder of the panel. The roof comprises the slated auditorium roof rising from the flat roof of the foyer and backstage areas. The brick fly tower rises behind and has large back-lit Qs on the corner of each elevation.
INTERIOR: the foyer is accessed from the main entrance and is a full height space with timber boarded floor and a non-original wood effect square panel ceiling. The glazing is also full height and comprises all of the exterior walls. The box office is located within a curved wall which marks the shape of the rear of the auditorium and was formed from three openings which previously led to a balcony over the bar area. The foyer wraps around 3 sides of the auditorium and to the north and south sides there are openings with raked ceilings, and stairs down to the original bar area. This is now converted to a learning space and WCs with later glass and metal framed partition walls forming the divisions. The staircases are original.
Access to the auditorium is to either side of the foyer via black double leaf doors accessing the ante room which in turn leads to the Auditorium proper. This wall is where the backstage section also begins (north and south). The Auditorium retains its original banks of 508 individual folding seats with armrests and red upholstery. The walls are lined with timber veneer panels with handrail. Several of the chairs can be removed to allow wheelchair access. The thrust stage projects from the proscenium with a curved apron, and is partly set above the orchestra pit set behind and below the curve of the stage.
To the rear of the auditorium is the archive, reached by a concealed door in the vertical timber panelled wall. To the corner is a staircase giving access to lighting and projection room, and further above is the bridge for access to high level machinery. The diagonal braced steel roof structure is visible. Behind the stage the fly tower rises to full height and contains machinery for undertaking scene changes. To the south of the main stage is the double height set workshop which has a large metal roller door out to the loading bay. The basement, which is located within the plinth of the building, is of exposed brick set within the concrete beam substructure. The space is divided and contains the furniture store, props store and plant and air conditioning equipment.
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 7 June 2022 to update text
