Victorian invention and legislation
The Victorian period saw a number of innovations that impacted upon theatre design. Lighting changed from candle to gas and then later to electricity as a result of stringent health and safety legislation. However, both emitted a more brilliant light that enabled directors to use lighting for theatrical effect.
Further legislation required that audiences seated at all levels could be evacuated quickly and safely in the event of fire or panic evacuations. Most theatre interiors used a lot of wood, including seats, balconies and structural supports. At that time the average life of theatres was just under twenty years owing to the risk of fire. Tragedies such as the fire at the Theatre Royal, Exeter in 1887, in which more than 190 people lost their lives, led to more careful planning of new theatres or the refurbishing of older ones. Fire exits and escape routes became a statutory requirement.
The development of cantilevered balconies was another innovation. These steel-framed structures covered with concrete did not need supporting columns that impede the audience’s view of the stage. Concrete soon became a popular material for theatre interiors, not only for its resistance to fire, but also because it could be moulded into elaborate curved forms.
