Tim Carroll & Tim Jennings
Special to The Lake Report/Niagara Now

Since the site plan for the rebuild of the Royal George Theatre became public last week, we’ve been overwhelmed by messages of support, encouragement, and excitement from across the community.

Rebuilding the theatre is something we’ve spent many years thinking about — and almost as many years seeking funding for — so we’re thrilled that it’s finally happening. Niagara-on-the-Lake deserves a world-class Royal George Theatre, and we’re determined to deliver just that.

Most people know or have become aware that the Royal George was built as a temporary building in the First World War out of a clay speed tile, and that foundation has now dissolved to the point of being irreparable. No one seems surprised that we need to rebuild the theatre.

But one comment we have heard several times, and feel is worth addressing, is about the size of the new building. Yes, the new Royal George will need to be significantly larger than the current theatre.

To be clear, the theatre auditorium itself will remain a similar size, increasing to around 358 seats from its 335 norm, and preserving that same jewel-box, intimate feel — but the building’s overall footprint will definitely be bigger.

So why is this? Why can’t we just rebuild the Royal George exactly as it is today?

There are a few good reasons.

Let’s start with the lobby, which is currently about eight feet deep and has a capacity of 13 people. For a building with a 335-person capacity, modern building and fire codes would not allow such a small lobby space today.

In fact, it really has to be able to accommodate the whole group of attendees. Some of the space required to meet current building and evacuation codes will be created by pushing the theatre back; the rest by using the space that is currently taken up by the box office building next door to the Royal George.

This will allow us to expand the footprint of the new Royal George without taking up more of Queen Street.

Building code requirements also now, quite rightly, require significant accessibility options and support systems. A modern theatre building must have elevators, more washrooms and accessible washrooms, and enough space for wheelchairs or walkers to move safely through its spaces. 

One of the most common concerns we hear from patrons is how difficult the current building is to navigate. Accessing the small downstairs bar area and the current washrooms is nearly impossible unless you’re fully able, and the only current accessible washroom is outside, down an alley, and in another building.

The new Royal George intends not just to meet code but to meet Rick Hansen Foundation gold certification standards, which go beyond current minimum requirements to create truly accessible spaces for the next century. This means, among other things, ensuring that every part of the building is accessible not only to audiences but to technical staff and crews.

That is also why the tower, which will move back on the property to be more hidden from main street or side street views, needs to be five feet taller than it is currently. True accessibility means that the current crawl spaces become head-height working spaces reachable by workers with physical constraints.

But, to be clear, the tower itself (which most people currently don’t notice from the street) will be only that slight bit (five feet) taller and even more out of view from the street, especially during the green months of the year when the green wall on the back of it will make it disappear among the treescape.

Over the years, hundreds — if not thousands — of you have told us you wish the Royal George could be open during the day, not just at showtimes. We agree, but we’ve never had the infrastructure to make that happen.

Since we have to have a larger lobby anyway, we have the chance to make the new Royal George a vibrant community hub, open from morning to evening, thanks to our ground-floor café — a place to sit, meet with friends or family, or write that novel. 

Finally, our buildings aren’t just structures; they’re gateways to the art and programming within. The Shaw is a charity (in fact, Niagara’s largest cultural charity) and our mission is to bring art and creativity to as many people as possible.

We envisage a future where every high school student in Niagara comes to the Shaw annually — not just to see a play, but for a full day. A morning of workshops with our artists, designers, and artisans, learning about theatre trades or building communication skills, followed by an afternoon show that showcases those skills in action. 

We have everything we need to offer these life-changing opportunities — except the physical space to host them. That’s why we’re including in the new Royal George a flexible, multi-purpose room for youth workshops, post-show discussions, seminars, rehearsals, and more. When not in use by us, this will be a space (the only one of its kind in downtown NOTL) for the community to gather, talk, play — the possibilities are endless.

So yes, the new Royal George will be a bigger, grander complex than the current one. It has to be, by law, but more importantly, it will offer far more to the communities it serves and most especially to our friends and neighbours here in Niagara.

Tim Carroll is artistic director for the Shaw Festival. Tim Jennings is the executive director.