  thumbnail|300px|right|the royal shakespeare theatre in 2011, north frontage and tower. thumbnail|300px|right|the first shakespeare memorial theatre complex, pictured in the 1890s the royal shakespeare theatre (rst) is a 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the royal shakespeare company dedicated to the british playwright and poet william shakespeare. it is located in the town of stratford-upon-avon â shakespeare's birthplace â in the english midlands, beside the river avon. the royal shakespeare and swan theatres re-opened in november 2010 after undergoing a major renovation known as the transformation project.reid, robert l. "royal treatment: a six year effort to redevelop the royal shakespere company's signature theater", civil engineering magazine, july 2011, pg 73â81. american society of civil engineers. ==history== the royal shakespeare theatre opened in 1932 on the site adjacent to the original shakespeare memorial theatre (opened 19 april 1879), which had been destroyed by fire on 6 march 1926, whose name it took. the architect was elisabeth scott, so the theatre became the first important work erected in this country from the designs of a woman architect. it is now owned and managed by the royal shakespeare company and was renamed royal shakespeare theatre in 1961. ==structure== the royal shakespeare and swan theatres are on the western bank of the river avon, with the adjacent bancroft gardens providing a scenic riverside setting. the rooftop restaurant and bar overlooks both the river and the bancroft gardens. ===original structure=== in its original form, the theatre had a proscenium-arch stage, and a seating capacity of about 1,400 people, on three tiers (stalls, circle and balcony). two tiers of seating were later added to the side walls of the theatre and the stage extended beyond the proscenium, by means of an 'apron'. balcony seats could only be accessed by means of a staircase to the side of the building, separate from the main foyer and bar. the theatre has several notable art deco features, including the staircase and corridors at either side of the auditorium. it is a grade ii* listed building. ===redevelopment=== the royal shakespeare company has renovated the royal shakespeare theatre as part of a Â£112.8m transformation project which included the creation of a new 1040+ seat, thrust stage auditorium which brings a
1932_establishments_in_England Buildings_and_structures_completed_in_1932 Grade_II*_listed_buildings_in_Warwickshire Stratford-upon-Avon Theatres_in_Warwickshire William_Shakespeare