Coliseum Theatres
The Coliseum is a custom-made, large-scale theatre, capable of presenting the very best of touring theatre and live performance, as well as conferencing and exhibitions.
What is a Coliseum?
A stand-alone first-class venue, each Coliseum is custom-designed to your specification. Imagine having your own O2 Arena, with a unique shape and design to fit your requirements.
Your Coliseum is a self-contained venue - including a state-of-the-art stage, in-house sound and lighting, full scale flying capabilities, luxury front-of-house and backstage facilities, offices, pre-show dining, theatre bars and VIP suites. It can have specialised spaces for community theatre, creative learning and artistic development - the Coliseum will be “tailor-made” for your specific needs.
The superstructure, flying system and stage can accommodate any major touring musical (e.g. The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, The King and I), having consulted with some of the U.K.’s leading producers enabling us to incorporate them into our design.
With capacities of up to 2,000 seated and 8,000 standing, we will work with you to design a venue that meets your unique requirements, suits your community and delivers the outputs you’re looking for.
Established by our Chairman, Paul Gregg and unique in its design, the first Coliseum build was commissioned in 2019 as part of the inaugural Riyadh Season in South Arabia, which attracted an estimated 6 million visitors.
Subsequently, it won the prestigious Middle East Economic Development award for Best New Venue.
“Its unique design and ability to go from final plans to opening night in just 7 months, make Coliseum Theatres an exciting new luminary in the future of UK entertainment.”
What will a Coliseum deliver?
A world-class flexible theatre space, able to present a broad mixture of the very finest theatrical content. From musicals, stand-up comedy, operas and ballets to big-name music concerts, live streamed sporting events and e-sports.
A conference, exhibition and banqueting venue, with the auditorium configured to suit business events, awards nights or graduation ceremonies.
A home for community and amateur theatre – spaces for creatives and artistic development.
Outreach to educational institutions for partnerships. Creative Learning base and a community asset.
Ability to screen live sporting and cultural events – with themed and even immersive auditorium setups.
The stage, superstructure, and comprehensive flying system will be custom-designed and built by the U.K.’s leading theatre stage designers. State-of-the-art sound and lighting systems are designed to the needs of all modern large-scale multi-genre productions.
Construction costs & timelines
The Coliseum’s design means it’s construction costs can be approximately ¼ of a traditionally built theatre of this scale. c. £10m to £15m depending upon the final design and site.
The typical lifespan of the exterior is c. 20-25 years, at which point a replacement external skin would be required.
The flexibility of the design means a reconfiguration of the venue can be done without having to incur the substantial costs of a traditional theatre.
The entire external skin, along with the metal super-structure is 100% recyclable.
The amount of concrete needed during the build is a fraction of a “bricks and mortar” building, and the internal rooms can be crafted using recycled shipping containers, whilst still delivering total luxury and practicality.
Sustainability & Flexibility
We recognise that transitioning to a sustainable low-carbon economy is at the heart of the national agenda to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Coliseums are designed and operated to take full advantage of green technologies, and we work with your local policies and priorities to ensure maximum benefit.
Our washrooms will only use 0.8 litres of water per flush instead of six litres in a conventional gravity-fed toilet. Where possible, we will use "grey water", further helping to reduce water consumption and waste management.
In contrast to traditional “bricks & mortar” construction, Coliseums require a substantially lower amount of concrete and the entire exterior structure (material and metalwork) is 100% recyclable at the end of its life, which is estimated at 20 to 25 years before refurbishment.
In contrast to traditional “bricks & mortar” construction, Coliseums require a substantially lower amount of concrete and the entire exterior structure (material and metalwork) is 100% recyclable at the end of its life, which is estimated at 20 to 25 years before refurbishment.
The interiors of the Coliseum are largely built to bespoke requirements and constructed off-site. The design of these spaces can be discussed and agreed to support the precise range of activities required for this specific location.
The Coliseum has the potential to house a fully-fitted kitchen and offer pre-show dining within its walls. Theatre bars, VIP lounges and other hospitality space can be designed together, creating an incredible ‘under-one-roof’ experience.
This enables the building to provide community spaces, educational and rehearsal rooms, along with bespoke VIP and hospitality offerings. Even a significant capability for conferencing, exhibitions and other business events such as award ceremonies and banqueting.
With business events capability, creative education and outreach possibilities, along with world-class entertainment, your Coliseum will swiftly become a valuable community asset, which is able to be changed as time passes.
economic & Social Impact
Working in the community to offer skilled employment, apprenticeships and work placements. Meaningful pathways into employment via partnerships.
£10m of economic benefit per annum
The accepted “rule of thumb” for the economic impact of an entertainment venue is between £4 and £7 per £1 turnover of the theatre itself. It is reasonable to assume that the annual turnover of a c.1,500-seater venue would average c. £3m to £4.5m, delivering over £10m economic benefit per annum.
100 Local Jobs & Training
Job creation for the Coliseum to commence very early in the project. A team of around 100 will be needed by the time the venue opens. Training and induction will begin as the Coliseum is being constructed.
Boosting Local Business
Entertainment and business events to drive visits to your region, boosting bed nights, dining out and leisure, along with ancillary financial benefits to the area and local small businesses.
Real Living Wage Employer
Symposia Theatres will strive to partner with local arts organisations, educational institutions and “hard-to-reach” communities to develop meaningful collaborations and creative/ technical schemes.