ARTS

Blighted vision of the future

Ralph Koltai believes a great opportunity was missed in the rebuilding of Sadler's Wells

Ai adventurous, excellent professional brief to architects and designers for rebuilding Sadler's Wells Theatre was meticulously prepared several years ago by the theatre consultant and present chief executive and producer Ian Albery. 'The underlying concept for the design of the whole building is innovation. Sadler's Wells aims to challenge and to create a buzz,' he stated.

A further basic requirement was for the theatre to be a touring house, able to accommodate major dance and opera com- panies from Britain and abroad. There was no theatre in London — apart from those occupied by national companies and those housing long-running musicals — which was large enough or had the necessary technical facilities.

These two primary requirements did not need to conflict with each other. The admirable philosophy, this vision of the future, could surely be achieved without sacrifice. Lamentably, it has failed to do so. The vision has fallen victim to expediency. Why do we constantly resist innovative architecture in Britain when there is no shortage of imaginative native talent? The new Sadler's Wells Theatre fagade of much glass mounted on a steel structure — nothing wrong in that — is alas tedicius- ly dated and reminiscent of post-war insti- tutional health centres, schools and so on. The entrance and foyer space is a bright, clean no-man's land as inviting as passport control. Theatres require audience appeal and should solicit anticipation.

Much has been said in recent months by the Prime Minister, the Arts Minister and others about the need to move creatively into the year 2000 and beyond. I quote Ian Albery again: 'Sadler's Wells will be a the- atre of the millennium.' No such luck, I am afraid.

A completely inadequate staircase leads from the uninviting reception area to the upper three levels for a possible audience of some 800 patrons. Whether going up or coming down at the end of a performance, one experiences a bottleneck similar to Oxford Circus Underground station in the rush-hour. All of this, plus the noticeably obvious budget restrictions in the use of materials, would be acceptable to a con- temporary audience if the building generat- ed excitement and a sense of adventure.

It comes as a disappointment but no great surprise that this lack of a spirit of adventure in the exterior, public foyer and circulation areas has been maintained in the auditorium. Yes, it is new, clean, slick, bigger by being taller and, as New Yorkers might say, looks linda modern'. But essen- tially it is conventional and sadly devoid of atmosphere. To provide seating for an anticipated audience of 1,500 has resulted in rows being too close together, a familiar phenomenon and a constant irritation in most West End theatres. The National Theatre and the Barbican are pleasurable exceptions. Having read glowing reports in the press about the wonderful sightlines, I can only imagine that these critics must have been fortunate in being seated in one of the upper tiers. They would have been somewhat less enthusiastic if they had been seated in the stalls.

Now to the better news. Accepting the basically conventional theatre lay-out, the new proscenium is suitably larger than the previous one and has good proportions. The stage itself is correspondingly wider and considerably deeper than previously. Dance companies, even large ones, should have no problems.

The orchestra pit can accommodate 100 players and can be adjusted in height and width. I cannot personally comment on acoustic qualities as I haven't had an opportunity to hear opera or vocal sound.

The new Sadler's Wells Theatre However, the walls of the auditorium are of wood, surfaced with a fine metal mesh which should be beneficial, and I am authoritatively assured that sound will be of a high quality, for both voice and instru- mentalists. There are a great number of acoustic panels along the side walls which may be adjusted or completely removed.

The entire interior is basically black, but the lighting installation permits the intro- duction of colour to the side wall panels. The stage can be extended across the orchestra pit into the stalls to a sizeable extent, if and when demanded. The flies system is one of the most advanced, arguably the best in the world to date. It is computer-operated and sophisticated, a mixture of German and British technology. And the lighting equipment, as one might expect, is equally of the highest standard and front-of-house instruments are agree- ably unobtrusive. In fact, as far as I have been able to judge in a limited time, the detailed technical Albery specifications seem largely to have been adhered to. Backstage accommodation, facilities, rehearsal space are standard or better. Artists' dressing-rooms are practical and up to anyone's expectations.

The adjoining Lilian Baylis Theatre and Community Education Centre is several months away from being completed. It is, therefore, premature to comment. Howev- er, it does seem slightly curious that artists and public are to share the same entrance from Roseberry Avenue. But perhaps that is conceived in the spirit of advanced democracy.

Despite all the technical sophistication, it still saddens me to think that our ambitions are so narrow, so limited — that we are happy to celebrate a theatre having been built at all, almost on budget and opening on schedule (this largely due to the com- mitment of the theatre staff rather than the contractors). Yet is this enough to be proud of?

Take the Sydney Opera House (with all its practical faults), completed 26 years ago, perhaps the most recognised building in the world after the Eiffel Tower, the Guggen- heim Gallery in New York and the Bank of China building in Hong Kong. Can those achievements find no echo here at home? The Czechs, whose economy is surely more perilous than ours, have nonetheless recent- ly completed the highly imaginative Spirala Theatre in Prague. Somehow, against all the odds, the theatre was built because it mattered to the people of the Czech Republic. When will it matter to us?

Ralph Koltai is an honourable associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company.