Barnfield Theatre
Encyclopedia
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was originally built as The Barnfield Hall near the end of the 19th century by Exeter Literary Society and converted to a theatre
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
in 1972, and is located near the centre of the city on Barnfield Road, Southernhay.
Today the theatre is operated as a charity and is used as a venue for amateur and professional theatrical companies. The building is owned by Exeter City Council
Exeter City Council
Exeter City Council is the council and local government of the city of Exeter, Devon.The City Council provides a range of services within the city including housing, refuse collections and recycling, planning, economic development, tourism, leisure and arts facilities and activities...
and leased to Exeter Little Theatre Company, who run the theatre under Barnfield Theatre Ltd. In January 2007 it received £200,000, about the same as the original cost to build it , to refurbish its interior.
Main auditorium
The main auditoriumAuditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
is fully furnished with stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
and lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
equipment; 289 comfortable, tip-up seats which were reupholstered in 2005 and in full rake for complete view of the stage from all parts of the theatre. It is also suitable for conferences, lectures and displays as well as stage productions.
Bedford Room
The Bedford Room (or Bedford Studio Theatre) can be used for many different purposes, these include a studio theatre or conference room. The seating is modular and can be raked, and can be arranged for any theatrical requirements (e.g. theatre in the roundTheatre in the round
Theatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area...
, traverse etc.). It was renamed as the Clifford Room in 2007.