Fareham Live

Theatreplan worked for Fareham Borough Council to provide theatre planning and technical theatre consultancy for the upgrading of Ferneham Hall, renamed Fareham Live. The theatre dates from the early 1980s but was in need of renovation and modernisation as the customer offer was very limited and physical accessibility was poor.

Working with FCBStudios, Theatreplan undertook a thorough review of the existing theatre. We engaged with the Council and the technical team to fully understand their aspirations for the refurbished venue and to gain a clear picture of what they felt was needed to improve and develop it, making it suitable for the 21st century. A key driver was to make the venue a community hub and ensure it would be sustainable - both technically and operationally - for the future. Beyond the main auditorium, this included adding a new Studio theatre and dance studio/breakout room, and reconfiguring the foyer and bar areas.

Theatreplan has been responsible for evaluating and designing changes to the stage and seating layouts, both of which were restricting programming options. We also advised on changes to the auditorium and ancillary spaces, to make the venue more welcoming and accessible and enhance the visitor experience. This will help increase programming options and develop audiences. We also lead on all technical infrastructure planning and systems design, including stage engineering, lighting, sound, AV and digital services.

Fareham Live is launching in September 2024.

Renders courtesy of FCBStudios