Curve (theatre)

Curve was designed by architect Rafael Viñoly in association with the scenographers ducks scéno and Charcoal Blue, Kahle Acoustics for acoustician studies and engineered by Adams Kara Taylor is based in the centre of what the City Council calls the new "Cultural Quarter" on Rutland Street. It features two auditoria, one with 970 seats (referred to as the Theatre) while a 350-seat auditorium (referred to as the Studio) provides a smaller space with its own power flying system. The Theatre, Studio and their stages can also be opened up to create one large space with a capacity of 1,300. When the 2 18 tonne steel walls separating the stage and the foyer are lifted, the stage is visible from street level. The glass façade encloses an open plan foyer with views onto the café, bars, backstage area, and across the stage.

The theatre was built by a partnership of Leicester City Council, Arts Council England (with funds from The National Lottery), East Midlands Development Agency, Leicester Shire Economic Partnership,[2] with the project part-financed by the European Union (ERDF), in partnership with Leicester Theatre Trust and in association with Phoenix Arts Centre.[3] The project was blighted by huge cost increases that more than doubled the initial estimates.[4]

The theatre opened on 11 November 2008 with a celebratory opening show called Lift Off.[5] This was followed by Simply Cinderella, which ran from 4 December 2008 (the day it was officially opened by the Queen) until 24 January 2009 – a new musical of the fairytale, written by Grant Olding[6] and Toby Davies,[7] and directed by dancer Adam Cooper.[8]

Curve theatre stage & auditorium from the open walled wing

• Simply Cinderella by Grant Olding and Toby Davis (2008–09)
• In-I starring Juliette Binoche and Akram Kahn (2009)
• The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh starring Marc Warren (2009)
• Peter Pan-The Musical by Julian Ronnie and Paul Miller (2009–10)
• A Festival of Friel: Molly Sweeney and Translations by Brian Friel
• The King and I by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (2010–11)
• Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn (2011)
• 42nd Street (2011–12)
• Hello Dolly! (2012–13)
• Gypsy (2012)
• Piaf by Pam Gems (2013)
• Chicago (2013–14)
• Hairspray (2014 and 2015 - UK Tour)
• The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein (2014–15)
• Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ (2015)
• The Witches by Roald Dahl and David Wood (2015–16)
• Oliver! by Lionel Bart (2015–16)
• Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote adapted by Richard Greenberg starring Pixie Lott (2016)

• Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre's Barnum (2014)
• Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins (2015)
• Cameron Mackintosh's Miss Saigon (2017)
• Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda The Musical (2018)

• Les Miserables (2018)

• War Horse (2019)

• The Phantom of the Opera (2020)

Curve is run by the Leicester Theatre Trust (LTT), an independent charitable organisation.[3] LTT took over the operation of Curve in August 2008. The Leicester Theatre Trust formed in 1969, it is a regularly funded client of Arts Council England (ACE) and receives annual revenue funding from Leicester City Council.

From 1973 to 2007 the organisation programmed and operated the Haymarket Theatre.

• Haymarket Theatre (Leicester)
• Little Theatre (Leicester)
• Sue Townsend Theatre
• De Montfort Hall

• Curve Theatre Leicester
• One Leicester