7th September 2016
We were welcomed in the foyer of The Other Place by our guides Jack and Tricia and taken to the first level of the building where the purpose and ethos of the Royal Shakespeare Company and buildings was explained and in particular the structure of the building, which could be seen together with views of the rehearsal rooms below.
Following this we travelled by lift to the next level where there was the ability for the actors to practise being suspended above stage as were were now on the third floor, the suspension attachment matching the ceiling height.
On this floor we proceeded to the stage area of The Other Place and sat on balcony seats overlooking the stage and it was explained that further seating which was retracted could be brought forward in front and below us to provide more seating whilst giving flexibility for using most of the floor space when the seats were retracted.
Jack told us in detail how the plays were planned, scenery constructed and/or mimicked for rehearsal purposes and the director and cast chosen. Generally there was a four month lead time for each play in rehearsal.
After this, we were taken into the costume store and saw hundreds of costumes and accessories which are now housed in this one place, having previously been scattered across Stratford and now stored in avenues reflecting the different eras chronologically.
Jack and Tricia returned us to the first floor level where delicious pastries and coffee awaited us.
