LONDON — There was no doubt the rundown Young Vic theater near Waterloo Station south of the Thames was badly in need of a makeover. But the question was how to preserve the shabby splendor of the place that opened in 1970, and has hosted Jude Law, Clive Owen, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench.
The Young Vic’s artistic director, David Lan, and architect Steven Tompkins both wanted to hang on to the gritty feel the theater has had since it first opened, originally as a temporary space. The theater is known for showcasing both new work and young directors’ takes on the classics. It built its reputation as an egalitarian performance venue, filling its rows of unreserved seats with an eclectic mix of people.
“People loved the theater for its shabby, charming, earthy and unpretentious feel,” said Libby Waddington, a spokeswoman for the theater. “[We could have] easily lost that charm.”
That’s why Tompkins, who in 2000 redeveloped the Royal Court theater in Sloane Square, chose to work with cinder blocks, plywood and aluminum to create a structure that would reflect the theater’s urban location. The new theater, unveiled late last year by Law, incorporates some of the building’s existing period features, such as the foyer’s salvaged tiles that once covered the walls of the butcher’s shop the original theatre was built around.
Plenty of new design elements have been added, too. The building’s exterior is now covered with 180 yellow panels by artist Clem Crosby. The panels are layered with aluminum mesh and up-lit at night. What was once a carpark next door has been turned into a buzzing bar and restaurant, with wavy brick and wood panels on the walls and bare concrete floors.
The theater’s main auditorium has been designed so directors can stage a production any way they want. The two studio theaters, the Marie and the Clare, are made from concrete block walls that can be entirely remodeled to accommodate a director’s vision.
“We kept it as bare, cheap and simple as possible,” said Waddington. “When directors ask, ‘Can we do this? Can we drill there?,’ the answer is: ‘Yes, you can.’ Anything is possible here.”
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The main auditorium is dressed in beat-up steel arches — and a flying machine device lifts performers for a production of the children’s opera “The Enchanted Pig.”
For the Young Vic’s next production, the theater plans to create a traditional proscenium arch for the Restoration comedy “The Soldiers’ Fortune,” which opens this month.
Future productions include a series of Brecht plays as well as “Generations,” a new work about lost generations of families in South Africa. Those plays will run from March through April. An adaptation of DBC Pierre’s novel “Vernon God Little,” to be directed by Rufus Norris, will open in April.