Description
Book SynopsisWhile often some of the most beautiful, opulent buildings in a town or city, a theatre is so much more than a space for the performance of a play. It is a cultural hub, a meeting place for people from all walks of life and, through the stories told there, brings people together in numerous ways. Indeed, theatres have been doing so for over two millennia.
The theatre comes in many forms. From the more rigid and repeated (but no less attractive) designs of Greek and Roman theatres, the buildings that now house our shared cultural output boast some of the finest, most creative structures in the world. Huge and cathedral-like or modest, concrete and futuristic or neo-Renaissance, we are lucky that the physical constructions themselves recapture the ambition of the arts performed within.
With chapters organised by continent and featuring theatres and opera houses – and any space for the performing arts – from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australasia, Amazing Theatres of the World includes modern masterpieces and ancient remains, art deco delights and Baroque classics, taking in centuries of theatre building. Both the exterior and the interior of buildings are examined, as well as behind-the-scenes shots of dressing rooms and the mechanics of putting on a show. In so doing, we catch a glimpse of how the performing arts and their home has evolved over time.
Illustrated with more than 190 photographs, Amazing Theatres of the World includes more than 150 of the most stunning theatres and opera houses.
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Europe
Sea theatre at Bregenz Festival, Bregenz, Austria
Meiningen State Theatre, Thuringia, Germany
Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens, Greece
Hungarian State Opera House, Budapest, Hungary
Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia
Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, Italy
Oslo Opera House Oslo, Norway
Roman theatre, Cartagena, Spain
Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain
Auditorium Opera House, Tenerife, Spain
Palais Garnier, Paris, France
Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, Paris, France
Salle Richelieu, Paris, France
Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse, Paris, France
Le Moulin Rouge, Paris, France
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
Royal Albert Hall, London, UK
The Old Vic, London UK
Shakespeare’s Globe, London, UK
The National Theatre, London, UK
Minack Theatre, Cornwall, UK
North America
Winter Garden, Toronto, Canada
Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico
Cherry Tree Theatre, New York City, USA
New Amsterdam theatre, New York City, USA
Delacorte Theater, New York City, USA
Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, USA
Tampa Theatre, Florida, USA
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, USA
Central & South America
Ataneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Amazon Theatre, Manaus, Brazil
Municipal Theatre of Santiago, Chile
Teatro de Cristóbal, Bogotá, Colombia
Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, Caracas, Venezuela
Asia
National Grand Theatre, Beijing, China
Fosun Foundation arts centre, Shanghai, China
Wuzhen Theatre, China
Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong
Kabuki-za, Tokyo, Japan
The Esplanade, Singapore
Municipal Theatre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Africa & the Middle East
Cairo Opera House Cairo, Egypt
Khedivial Opera House, Cairo, Egypt
Damanhur Opera House, Damanhur, Egypt
National Arts Theatre, Lagos, Nigeria
Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa
South African State Theatre, Pretoria, South Africa
Dubai Opera, Dubai, UAE
Australasia & the Pacific
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
The Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Southbank Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
Capitol House and Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat, Australia
Civic Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand
Isaac theatre Royal, Christchurch, New Zealand
