Theatre Consultancy for George Wood Theatre, Goldsmiths’ University of London heritage theatre refurbishment project
The renovation of the George Wood Theatre transformed a Grade II-listed 19th Century chapel into a contemporary, flexible performance and creative space for the College. Originally converted to a theatre in the 1960s, the building required modernisation to meet the demands of 21st-century teaching and performance. The project created a main flexible theatre with seating for up to 200 people and two new studio spaces, providing versatile facilities for teaching, rehearsal, and performance.
Drama by Design provided theatre and AV consultancy throughout the project, designing specialist systems to enhance functionality, flexibility, and audience experience while respecting the historic character of the building. The auditorium was converted into a flexible theatre, and the former stage was reconfigured into black and white studios stacked vertically, providing two distinct creative spaces within the existing structure.
A custom-designed tension wire grid was installed in the main theatre, carefully engineered so as not to touch the original walls, preserving views of the chapel’s historic windows. An octagonal opening at the centre of the grid mirrors the shape of the original roof turret, and one of the original stage winches was reinstalled to allow props and scenery to be lowered through the centre. The grid incorporates integrated bars to support speakers, projectors, and stage lighting, with additional perimeter bars for conventional stage lighting.
The theatre’s lighting system combines reinstalled legacy dimmers with a new computer-controlled system featuring LED luminaires. A new LED house lighting system complements the stage lighting, and a stage manager’s desk with full AV integration supports both teaching and performance requirements. Seating is highly adaptable, consisting of a main electrically retractable block and two additional retractable blocks mounted on hydraulic trucks, allowing multiple configurations to suit different events and audience sizes.
The Black Studio was equipped with an internally wired lighting grid, perimeter curtain track, and a full AV system controlled via a touch panel, creating a fully functional production studio. The White Studio serves as a rehearsal and creative space, featuring a basic AV setup with speakers and projector, suitable for teaching, workshops, and smaller-scale presentations.
Through careful design and integration of theatre and AV systems, Drama by Design helped deliver a versatile, modern performance hub that retains the historic character of the Grade II-listed chapel while providing professional-standard facilities for students, staff, and visiting performers.
Goldsmi
