The UK is fortunate to retain many of its historical theatre buildings still fitted with their original seats. These establishments evoke a vintage vibe which never goes out of fashion and even seats over a century old can often be refurbished to their former glory. In contrast, there are also many theatres which either occupy more modern buildings or are fitted with seats of an old-fashioned design which lack character. These venues may no longer meet the high expectations of modern audiences and therefore fail to attract new patrons, something which is necessary for the long-term success of the venue.
If you are responsible for the facilities in a theatre like the latter, you will reach a point where the seats need to be replaced. With so many entertainment options available in the 2020’s, theatres face far more competition than ever before to attract new audiences. Providing luxury comfortable seating is key to enhancing the theatre experience and as theatre chairs are a long-term, high value investment, it is important to choose the right ones to help future-proof your facilities.
As theatre seating can remain in-situ for decades before it requires replacing, you may never have had to deal with sourcing it before. You will find a range of UK based manufacturers who offer a complete service from design to installation who can help and advise you right from the start of the process, or you may choose to manage the project yourself.
Below is a quick reference guide to what you need to consider when replacing theatre chairs:
Capacity – if your existing seats are too narrow and you want to source something more spacious, it’s likely you will have to reduce capacity. Most suppliers will be able to draw up a new seating plan for you if you go down this route. There are also online resources and apps which allow you to do this yourself if you prefer.
Safety Regulations – you need to ensure any new seating plan complies with relevant health and safety regulations and that you have the necessary number of aisles and sufficient space within walkways. If reconfiguring your seating you may seek to improve leg room, but this is obviously dependent on the capacity you need to achieve. Your seating supplier can offer advice on this and ensure your new floor plan is suitable.
Disability Access – you will need to ensure that suitable provision is made for wheelchair users. In addition to ease of access into the building and auditorium, you need to provide either permanent wheelchair positions or a portion of seating which can be removed to accommodate wheelchairs as and when required.
Seat Design – there are a wide range of seat styles on the market and you may choose to research what’s available within your price range or put together a spec of what you require and ask potential suppliers to recommend a suitable seat from their range. Most UK manufacturers will be able to tailor their seats to your requirements so if there’s something different you require you may find they can accommodate this. An alternative to brand new seats is to source second hand; this is something you may want to consider if you are trying to create a vintage look. You can often find old theatre chairs on auction sites and in salvage yards.
Optional Extras – check that seat numbers and row letters are supplied as standard with theatre chairs and consider whether you want to add elements such as cup holders or pockets on seat backs. Discuss any bespoke requirements with your supplier as they may be able to accommodate.
Fabric Choice – most suppliers will offer a standard range of fabrics to choose from but if there’s something different you require they should be able to source this for you. Many traditional theatres opt for velvet fabric but there are also a wide range of hard-wearing woven fabrics which are very popular. When replacing seating you can use a different fabric colour to the existing to give a noticeably different look in your auditorium. Any upholstery fabric must meet Crib 5 fire retardancy.
Tiering & Carpeting – you may already have a tiered or raked floor in your venue but if this still doesn’t provide the best sightlines you could have new tiering fitted to accommodate your new seating. Many seating manufacturers can also bespoke design and fit tiering so if this is something you are interested in then you can request a quotation alongside your new seating quote. Whether or not you have new tiering installed, it is a good time to have new flooring or carpeting fitted.
Installation – You need to consider when there will be time for your seats to be taken out and replaced. How long this takes will obviously depend on the size of your venue and the number of seats you have. This is particularly pertinent if you are a busy theatre with little dark time. Your seating supplier should be able to work with you to remove and fit seating around your performance times but it’s important to plan well in advance as theatre seats will be made to order and can have a lead time of between 4 and 12 weeks, dependent on quantity and requirements. For larger quantities of seats, it may be possible to remove and fit in sections over a longer period of time but this would incur additional costs for the extra trips required by the installers. Alternatively, smaller venues who need to keep costs down, may choose to fit their own seats.
Disposal of Old Seats – if your old seats are still in reasonable condition or salvageable, you may be able to sell them on if you have the time or capacity to do so. If this is not an option, you can ask your seating supplier to dispose of them for you or source your own contractor to do this. In either case there would be a cost associated with disposal. It’s also advisable to check that all seat components will be recycled where possible.
Case Study
The seats in the theatre pictured below left had been installed in the mid-eighties. The design was dated, seats were narrow and there were no arms to delineate personal space.
This little theatre in Formby, Lancashire opted to replace the seats with Evertaut’s Orion auditorium seating. As the new seats were wider than the old ones, capacity was slightly reduced but this was necessary to modernise the theatre, retain existing patrons and and attract new ones. As part of the upgrade works, removable banks of seats were also fitted on the front row to allow space for wheelchair users when required.
Combined with a new tiered floor and freshly painted walls, the end result was strikingly different and was very well received by audiences who were able to enjoy performances in much better comfort than previous. In addition to pleasing existing patrons, the theatre was now equipped to attract new audiences and tempt back those who may have previously chosen not to return.
Evertaut Limited 