The Green Room – Newcastle Theatre Royal
Northern Design Awards finalist 2025
Designing for a space as storied as Newcastle Theatre Royal’s Green Room required a delicate balance: respect for heritage, a timeless aesthetic, and an atmosphere that could evolve with the theatre itself. The ambition was clear from the outset to avoid spectacle for spectacle’s sake. This was not a project about theatrics or nostalgia. It was about creating a design narrative that could quietly hold its own within the walls of one of the North East’s cultural cornerstones. Linking the present to the past.
Research provided the foundation. Working closely with the theatre team, and particularly its archivist, Sue, unearthed a rich seam of history and context. This is no ordinary building; it is a stage where transformation takes place daily, where characters are born, stories unfold, and audiences lose themselves. To design for such a place meant embracing that same sense of transformation. The role of the designer became that of storyteller; translating atmosphere, history, and identity into a language of pattern and surface.
The turning point came through Mercutio. Standing proudly in the main Theatre, the statue was chosen by public vote for its embodiment of wit, spirit, and bravado. That choice resonated deeply. Mercutio’s qualities mirror the essence of the North East itself. Irreverent, charming, bold. His presence offered the perfect springboard for a design narrative, ensuring that the public’s voice remained at the heart of the project.
From this emerged the concept of “Regency mischief.” Playful yet refined, it is a thread woven throughout the Green Room. Rather than heavy-handed homage, it offers subtle nods to heritage through wit, elegance, and character. It allows the space to feel grounded in its past while speaking confidently to the present and future.
The Green Room, by its very nature, is a place for the public: a space to gather, reflect, and experience theatre from a new perspective. Ensuring cohesion with the wider Theatre Royal was vital, but equally important was honouring that sense of openness and community. To embody both, the design had to be layered – classic yet spirited, formal yet inviting.
The result is a visual identity that captures both the soul of the theatre and the character of the region. It is neither overpowering nor ornamental, but a confident reimagining of heritage. By drawing on research, narrative, and symbolism, the design elevates the Green Room into more than a functional space; it becomes a continuation of the stage, where stories linger and community thrives. The branding of the space has been built around this narrative with the tagline “every sip, tells a story” branding doesn’t always come from a person with a message it comes from someone who can create that visual narrative and hook, a strong designer can introduce a brand to their audience, artists and designers don’t just communicate culture they have the power to make it, the strongest collaborations occur when an artist and designer is set free.
In essence, the Green Room’s design is a celebration of heritage, of theatre, and of the North East’s enduring wit and spirit. It is a design that speaks in whispers rather than shouts, carrying with it a timelessness that ensures it will evolve gracefully alongside the Theatre Royal for generations to come.
Architects: Mawson Kerr
Interior Designers: Design North Interiors
Artist/Designer: BOBO1325
Printers: Tektura
Installers: Davison Solutions
Solutions: Meldrum Group