Admin History
Originally erected in 1963 as a venue for understudy rehearsals and experimental work under the direction of Michel St Denis, Associate Director of the RSC, the building [TOP1] was first known as The Studio.
In the mid-1960s the building was used for the educational Theatregoround group, but it was with the appointment of Buzz Goodbody as its Artistic Director that the modest corrugated aluminium shed came to be used for public performances, opening as The Other Place [TOP] in April 1974. Despite its lack of basic amenities (no showers for performers, no refreshments for audiences), the "tin hut" saw some of the RSC's most imaginative work on Shakespeare and a wide range of other classic and modern writers.
This original building [TOP1] closed and was demolished in late 1989 and a new theatre [TOP2], designed by Michael Reardon and equipped with better facilities for audiences, performers and technicians, opened on an adjoining site in August 1991. The new building was equipped with two extra rehearsal spaces, the Michel St Denis and Buzz Goodbody studios, which enabled it to be used for a much wider range of activities including festivals, conferences and educational workshops while retaining the auditorium as a performance space. TOP2 staged its last performances in November 2001 and was cleared for use by other departments in March 2002. It was later used for occasional performances.
Dates of Artistic Directors of The Other Place:
Buzz Goodbody 1974-5,
Barry Kyle 1975 (following death of Buzz Goodbody),
Trevor Nunn 1976, Ron Daniels 1977-89,
Tony Hill 1991-5,
Katie Mitchell 1996-8,
Steven Pimlott 1998-2001.
Bronwyn Robertson was the administrator of The Other Place until March 2002.