Nottingham Playhouse

Why go

The Playhouse combines a producing theatre with a notable modern building. Anish Kapoor’s reflecting sculpture adds an outdoor reason to stop, while the nearby Gothic Revival cathedral makes the theatre’s architectural contrast particularly clear. For an evening visit, the production matters most; for a passing look, the forecourt provides the focus.

What to look for

• Anish Kapoor’s six-metre Sky Mirror reflects its surroundings outside.
• Peter Moro’s modern theatre opened in 1963.
• Wellington Circus places green space beside the theatre’s setting.

The full story

The theatre’s origins lie in a repertory company established before the present building. Its move into Peter Moro’s modern theatre in 1963 gave that work a distinctive architectural home. Moro had worked on London’s Royal Festival Hall interiors, and the Nottingham building brought a similar commitment to modern design into a setting close to Pugin’s Gothic Revival cathedral. That contrast was initially controversial. The Playhouse later suffered alterations that concealed some of its concrete character, before restoration in 2004 sought to recover the building’s design. Sky Mirror, installed in 2001, added another way to experience the site from outside. Its reflections make the surrounding sky and streets part of the sculpture. Together, the building and mirror show two different approaches to modern public culture: one houses performances, while the other changes what passers-by see in an ordinary urban setting.

Useful to know

• Choose a performance from the current programme before planning an auditorium visit.
• Combine an exterior look with the contrasting architecture of nearby St Barnabas Cathedral.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.