Features
The Main Auditorium – the dramatic heart of the building.
A single steep rake to encourage and intensify a sense of intimacy - the actors in the same room as the audience. With optimum sightlines from every seat, the layout is creased along one line, folding slightly like an open hand to hold the audience.
The Naughton Studio – creative space for young people.
Education and development work will be comfortably housed in a purpose built studio space, enabling a year-round programme for young people that stimulates individual self expression and personal development. The Naughton Studio will also allow the Lyric to expand its artistic programme, providing more opportunities for artists and audiences.
Front of House
The new theatre will be a welcoming, sociable space which provides all the amenities expected in the 21st-century for a great night out. Spacious lobbies, bars and restaurant overlooking the river will provide a wide range of food and beverages, helping to make the Lyric a real visitor destination and improving revenue generation for the organisation.
The Terrace
A bustling hub of activity by day and by night, the Terrace is a glass-fronted, cantilevered lobby extending out over the Lyric gardens and with riverfront views over the Lagan. Visitors to the Lyric will access the Terrace via the main public bar and it will be a popular meeting point with audiences before, during and after the performance – alive with debate and discussion.
Board Room
Many board rooms today suffer from poor lighting and uninspiring vistas, but the new theatre will boast a state-of-the-art board room with spectacular views overlooking the River Lagan. Demand will also be high within corporate Northern Ireland eager to use the ideal location for meetings and presentations.
Rehearsal Room – The Creative Core
The Rehearsal Room will continue to house the daily creative collaborations of our most exciting acting and directing talent. There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of a busy rehearsal room bursting with energy and imagination in the quest to create work of the highest quality.
The ‘Green Room’ – The Backstage Nucleus
An oasis of calm in an otherwise frenetic building! Actors spend many weeks backstage at the Lyric on each production, so it’s important to look after them. The Green Room is where our cast and crew gather before rehearsals, during breaks and prior to a performance. It helps create that communal company spirit for which the Lyric is renowned.
Dressing Rooms
Those all-important moments before the curtain goes up are spent in the dressing rooms where actors get into character, costume and make up.
Full Access
There will be full access to backstage and public facilities for people with disabilities, including designated parking areas adjacent to the entrance.