Having closed during the coronavirus pandemic and since completed a year-long programme of refurbishment work including new infrastructures for lighting, sound and video, as well as repairs to the building and replacing the bench seating to improve audience comfort, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s intimate Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon has also addressed its Equality Act obligations to ensure all of its 469 seats are accessible to all patrons – including those with hearing impairments.
Upgrading the assistive listening provision involved the installation of a new induction loop system from Ampetronic.
The RSC had previously worked with Ampetronic to install a major induction loop system in a temporary theatre while the main one was being refurbished. Now, working with the in-house team at Ampetronic, the new induction loop system uses two C7-2N MultiLoop drivers to provide comprehensive coverage.
The theatre’s seating levels are mainly constructed of timber with some steel supports, resulting in low metal loss construction. This feature of the theatre meant that the amplifiers required minimal metal loss correction during commissioning, as verified by Ampetronic’s Andrew Lennox-Jackson.
An interesting aspect of the design is that the system initially intended a loop to be installed on Level 1 but – due to the low levels of metal in the construction – the signal from the loop on Level 2 was able to provide simultaneous coverage to both Level 1 and Level 2. As such, one fewer channel of amplification was needed, however the venue decided to still install the two identical amplifiers with one channel turned off. This gave a spare channel and greater redundancy in case of any failures or service requirements.
Jeremy Dunn, Head of Sound at the venue, expressed his satisfaction with the new induction loop: ‘The new system meets our high standards and provides coverage to every seat in the theatre, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the performance.’
In addition to its sound, the new system is also more energy efficient than its predecessor. The use of class-D amplifiers with automatic standby features will reduce running costs, making it a sustainable and cost-effective option for the theatre. Further, there is the potential to benefit from network connectivity for status monitoring, making it easier to ensure that the system is running smoothly.
The upgrade to the Swan Theatre’s induction loop system is a significant improvement that ensures compliance with the Equality Act while providing accessibility for all patrons, including those with hearing impairments. The new system offers comprehensive coverage and advanced functionality, ensuring that the Swan Theatre is fully accessible to all and meets the needs of its diverse audience.
With its current production of Shakespeare's Cymbaline due to end in March, the theatre iis epecting high demand for its premiere of a new play based on Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti, Hamnet.
More: www.ampetronic.com
