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Typical stage and auditoria dimensions
 Repertory playhouse - prosceniumRepertory playhouse - open stageCity-centre receiving theatre
Capacity (seats)500-8501000-14001000-1900
Volume/seat (m3) 04-Jun05-Jul03-Jun
Maximum distance to stage (m)19-2316-1922-28
Stage dimensions (m)  15up to 60+
Stage arean/a80-100n/a
Proscenium width 10-Novn/aDec-20
Stage width18-21n/a20-30
Flying heightDec-18n/a18-25
Design criteria
Maximum viewing distances 
Drama20 m
Musicals and opera30 m
Auditorium sizeSeats
National opera and lyric theatres1200-2000+
Regional drama theatre, proscenium archup to 900
Regional theatre, open stage1200-1500
Studio theatre, end-stage courtyard format150-300
Auditorium volumem3 / person
Drama3-5
Music 8
Reverberation timeSeconds
Speech1-2
Orchestral music1-2
Choral music2+
Number of seats / aisle 
Gangway on one side7-12 (total number determined by seatway width)
Gangway on both sides14-28
Means of escape provisionin accordance with BS 5588: Part6: 1991
Dressing room provision (m2 / person) 
Principals12-14
Shared 05-Jun
Ventilation rates 
Auditorium and front of house10-15 litres/sec/person
Toilets / dressing rooms10 air changes/hour
Rehearsal spaces6 air changes/hour
Lighting levels 
Auditorium100 lux
Back of house / administration500 lux
Front of houseto specialist criteria
Stage and theatre equipment 
Minimum fly tower height2.5 x proscenium height
Fly tower grid height18-23 m
Minimum fly tower widthproscenium width + 6-8 m
Stage power supply (incl spare capacity)400 + 200 A TP&N, 100-200 A SP&N
Total dimmer capacity350-690 kW
Number of dimmer circuits200-360
Number of stage light power sockets400-500
Number of fly lines50-75
Total fly tower live load1 kN/m2
Toilet provision 
Male WCsone for up to 250, plus one for each additional 500 people
Female WCsthree for up to 100, plus one for each additional 40 people
Urinals two for up to 100, plus one for each additional 80 people
Equipment costs (£000s)
 Large-scale modern touring theatreMedium-scale modern repertory touring theatreModern studio theatreMedium-scale refurbished theatre
Stage engineering    
Flying300-350130-150-130-150
Safety curtains and fire doors270-32060-90-45-55
Lighting access180-210150-170--
Stage / pit lifts200-25070-100-100-140
Hoists150-17030-5020-30-
Curtains and masking230-26020-50Oct-20May-20
Lighting    
Controls60-7040-5015-2540-50
Dimming160-18040-6020-3025-40
Distribution90-11020-40Oct-2020-30
Luminaires160-20040-6020-3020-30
Sound and communications300-38090-12065-80140-180
TOTAL2100-2500750-940160-235525-685
Cost breakdown
 Element cost (£)£/m2 gfa (£)% of total cost
Substructure256 50084.385.83
Excavating for pits and basements, up to 4 m deep 1200 m2 @£30.00
Extra for excavating within existing buildings 300 m3 @£30.00
Extra for excavating stage lift caissons 8 @£550
Underpinning insitu concrete foundations 90 m @£350
Piling - 300 mm diameter driven piles, depth 12-15 m 130 @£650
Reinforced insitu concrete, grade C30/C40  --
Ground beams  50 m @£170
Slabs 1250 m2 @£20.00
Suspended slabs  180 m2 @£70.00
Walls 470 m2 @£65.00
Waterproofing and protection item @£14 000
Frame238 10078.325.41
Structural steel framing 134 t @£1,100
Built-up trusses spanning auditorium 16 t @£1,200
Fly tower access galleries and grid 17 t @£1,150
Allowance for additional framing and isolated steelwork allow£4,000
Works to existing steel frame in auditorium allow£7,000
Intumescent paint  2350 m2 @£11.50
Insitu concrete ring beam allow£9,000
Insitu concrete beam casings 60 m @£35.00
Precast concrete columns 30 m @£95.00
Upper floors108 80035.792.47
Insitu concrete suspended slabs, 150-225 mm thick 530 m2 @£70.00
Composite suspended slab, insitu concrete and steel decking 770 m2 @£34.00
Precast beam and block flooring to upper floor levels 440 m2 @£35.00
Timber suspended upper floors with ply/hardwood decking 750 m2 @£23.00
Acoustic pads to floating floors adjacent to auditorium 300 m2 @£18.00
Galvanised steel access galleries item @£7,500
Roof114 30037.62.6
Composite suspended roof slab; insitu concrete and metal decking 200 m2 @£38.00
Sawn softwood structure to flat and pitched roofs 840 m2 @£18.50
Mastic asphalt; two coats; rigid sheet insulation 530 m2 @£20.00
Extra for paving slabs; support pads and filter membrane 250 m2 @£30.00
Handmade clay ped tiles, felt underlay and battens 45 m2 @£48.00
Natural Welsh slate, felt underlay and battens 340 m2 @£55.00
Sheet lead cladding; code 5; fixed to plywood sheet 150 m2 @£95.00
Proprietary double-glazed rooflights and skylights 35 m2 @£540
Lead sheet and stainless steel flashings, soakers and gutters allow£13 000
Sundry trims and skirtings, insulation and proofing allow£6,000
Stairs54 90018.061.25
Insitu concrete staircases 44 flights @£800
Cat ladders and escape stairs allow£7,500
Isolated handrails, steel 60 m @£30.00
Isolated handrails, stainless steel 160 m @£65.00
External walls196 40064.64.46
Handmade facing bricks, £500/1000 --
Half-brick-thick snapped headers 1400 m2 @£60.00
Common brickwork, half-brick-thick 490 m2 @£25.00
Common brickwork, one-brick thick 450 m2 @£48.00
Dense solid concrete blockwork, 100 mm thick 1200 m2 @£16.00
Dense solid concrete blockwork, 215 mm thick 650 m2 @£28.00
Dressed stonework sills and plinths 110 m @£260
Precast concrete copings 150 m @£40.00
Applied finishes; waterproofing and allowances for work to existing allow£6,500
Windows and external doors45 00014.81.02
Softwood windows; factory double-glazed 50 m2 @£340
Repairs to existing windows allow£2,500
Replacement sealed double-glazing units to existing windows 75 m2 @£40.00
External quality doors with hardwood frames 15 @£600
Specialist steel acoustic door to scene dock 1 @£6,000
Aluminium louvres  25 m2 @£190
Precast concrete sills and lintels 60 @£45
Internal partitions68 60022.571.56
Dense solid concrete blockwork --
100 mm thick 3200 m2 @£14.00
215 mm thick 340 m2 @£26.00
Head restraint to partitions allow£4,000
Glazed screens and acoustic screens to public areas and control rooms item @£11 000
Internal doors183 70060.434.17
Veneer or laminate finish vision panels, soild core, hardwood frames, ironmongery --
Doorsets, no fire rating 100 @£580
Doorsets, fire rated, FD30 80 @£750
Doorsets, acousitc, RW38 10 @£930
Doorsets, fire rated, acoustic; FD30; RW38 22 @£1,200
Glazed screens with integral doors and doorsets; hardwood frames; Georgian wired glass; ironmongery 45 m2 @£400
Steel acoustic doors to stage and scene dock; strong-room door allow£12 000
Wall finishes190 10062.534.32
Hardwood veneer-faced plywood panel wall linings; 6 mm thick; sawn softwood framed supports 450 m2 @£60.00
Wood acoustic panels; 50 mm thick; sawn softwood framed support 150 m2 @£105
Aluminium sheet cladding; 1.2 mm thick; to stage and backstage areas 175 m2 @£220
Work to retained timber panelling in auditorium allow£7,500
Two coats of plaster 13 mm thick 8400 m2 @£4.60
Ceramic tile (PC sum £20/m2) to kitchen areas 330 m2 @£40.00
Plastic sheeting, 3 mm thick, to showers and wet areas 345 m2 @£65.00
Painting and clear finishing generally 7700 m2 @£1.70
Miscellaneous trims, cover stips, mouldings; hardwood allow£14 000
Floor finishes112 30036.942.55
Cement sand screeds, 50-75 mm thick 1650 m2 @£7.00
Plastics sheeting; non-slip vinyl safety flooring 600 m2 @£30.00
Carpets (PC sum £30/m2) underlay 1700 m2 @£35.00
Carpet finish to treads and risers 1000 m @£10.00
Softwood skirting  1200 m @£6.00
Matwells allow£6.00
Ceiling finishes160 30052.733.64
Lightweight acoustic plaster, 22 mm thick; stainless steel lathing forming suspended ceiling  1200 m2 @£33.00
Two coats of lightweight plaster, 13 mm thick; stainless steel lathing forming suspended ciling 550 m2 @£30.00
Suspended ceiling two-coat spray applied to acoustic plaster; Ardex, 12 mm thick 1000 m2 @£12.50
One layer plasterboard, 9.5 mm thick, skim coat 960 m2 @£6.00
Suspended ceiling; acoustic panels 1200 x 600 mm 110 m2 @£45.00
Perforated aluminium sheet cladding, 1.2 mm thick, to backstage areas 95 m2 @£220
Woodwool decking, including structural steel subframe 250 m2 @£65.00
Steel access galleries to services void; handrails 110 m2 @£45.00
Allowance for access panels to suspended ceilings allow£5,000
Allowance for additional supports and framing to existing structure allow£30 000
Painting plaster; matt emulsion paint 2250 m2 @£1.75
Fittings, fixtures and furniture247 50081.415.62
Theatre seats  690 @£140
Bar and servery fittings and equipment item @£70 000
Box office counters, shutters and fittings item @£20 000
Stage door and backstage fittings generally item @£26 000
Coat racks, lockers and mirrors item @£6 000
Window blinds  48 m2 @£50.00
Signage and noticeboards item @£26 500
Sanitary appliances50 40016.581.14
Vanity units  allow£8,000
Sanitary fittings, WCs, basins and showers 110 @£300
Cleaners' sinks  item @£1,500
Hand dryers  35 @£225
Services equipment208 00068.424.73
Specialist catering installation complete item @£135 000
Building management system 3040 m2 @£24.00
Disposal installations33 40010.990.76
Rainwater pipework, plastics and aluminium pipework 3040 m2 @£5.00
Foul water disposal; plastic pipework 3040 m2 @£6.00
Water installation57 80019.011.31
Cold water storage and distribution; stainless steel and copper pipework; insulation  3040 m2 @£12.50
Hot water storage and distribution; central calorifier; stainless steel and copper pipework; insulation 3040 m2 @£6.50
Space heating and air treatment253 00083.225.75
Gas installation item£7,000
Low temperature hot water heating; pressed steel radiators; finned tube convectors; steel pipework; insulation; gas-fired boilers 3040 m2 @£20.00
Supply and extract system; air-handling plant; distribution ductwork; grilles and diffusers 3040 m2 @£40.00
Packaged low-velocity air-conditioning system serving auditorium only 370 m2 @£60.00
Dedicated toilet and kitchen extract systems 3040 m2 @£11.00
Additional acoustic treatment and attenuation item @£8,000
Electrical installations255 00083.885.79
Low voltage switchgear and distribution; incoming main; supplies to mechanical plant 3040 m2 @£12.00
Lighting distribution wiring 3040 m2 @£17.00
Production lighting distribution allow£15 000
Luminaires and emergency luminaires (stage lighting included in special installations 3040 m2 @£18.00
Small power distribution 3040 m2 @£18.00
Multi-service cable tray and multi-compartment trunking 3040 m2 @£10.00
Ups installation item @£12 000
Lift installation47 00015.461.07
Eight-person hydraulic lift with dual access, serving eight floors item @£35 000
Two kitchen hoists in stainless steel serving two floors each item @£12 000
Protective installations20 2006.650.46
Earthing and bonding 3040 m2 @£4.00
Lightning protection  3040 m2 @£1.00
Hand-held fire extinguishers item @£5,000
Special installations625 500205.7614.21
Stage engineering  --
Safety curtain, hoist and release item @£52 000
Single purchase flying system; 48 lines; counterweight frames; handlines and accessories; pick-up lines for lighting item @£134 000
Two orchestra elevators and controls item @£125 000
Cinema-quality film screen, hoist and controls item @£33 000
Stage lighting  --
Control desk allow£30 000
Dimmer racks and controls item @£57 500
Production lighting distribution and outlet boxes item @£22 000
Luminaires and accessories item @£40 000
Sound and communication --
Sound mixing  item @£17 000
Loudspeakers item @£20 000
Amplification and signal processing item @£19 500
Playback equipment  item @£8 000
Microphones, patching, equipment racks, cables, accessories and adptors item @£25 000
Ring intercom  item @£8 500
Video system  item @£5 000
CATV system  item @£1 500
Show relay  item @£3 500
Paging system  item @£13 000
Cue light system item @£2 000
Stage manager's station item @£5 000
Infra-red hearing assistance item @£7 000
Accessories, connectors, sound and communication wiring item @£27 000
Builders' work in connection80 60026.511.83
Associated builders' work, service trenches, holes, sleeves, chases etc allow5%
Subtotal3 668 2001 206.6483.33
    
Preliminaries and contingencies733 6002241.3216.67
Contractor's management and staff, site accommodation and establishment allow12%
Design reserve and contingency allow8%
    
Total for refurbishment (excluding site works and drainage) 4 401 8001 447.96 100
Regional Variations
All the costs are based on a scheme in East Anglia. Costs should be adjusted by the following location factors for schemes in other regions
Inner London1.2
Outer London1.14
South East1.06
South West1
East Midlands0.99
West Midlands1
Yorkshire and Humberside0.99
North West1
Northern1
Scotland1.06
Wales1
Northern Ireland0.86