WORK has begun on a comprehensive plan of creating a new studio theatre at The Hexagon in central Reading.
The theatre is part of a major overhaul of the Minster Quarter in the town centre, and is among the council’s selected sites as part of its ongoing carbon reduction projects.
After two years of planning, including exploratory work by contractors last summer, shovels have started to hit the dirt, kicking off an expected two further years of transformation for one of the town’s cultural icons.
To mark the start of the work, Reading Borough Council’s Leader, Cllr Liz Terry; Lead Councillor for Leisure Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward; Chief Executive Jackie Yates; and representatives from Feltham Construction, including Group Managing Director Andy Brown, and Howarth Thompkins’ Design Director, Lucy Picardo.
It marks the start of contractors’ work to build the studio theatre area next to the current build, with the demolition of the backstage area first to be undertaken, followed by the creation of a 200-seat space off of Queen’s Walk.
The new intimate space will feature a gallery with extra seating, as well as standing space for 300 people.
There will also be an accessible entrance via Queen’s Walk, a spacious foyer with a bar, and an outside area for visitors to enjoy warmer weather.
There will now be an 11-week pause in the show programme to provide unhindered access to the entire site for work to begin.
Shows will resume on Saturday, September 27, with the children’s musical extravaganza ‘The Dinosaur that Pooped: A Rock Show’ coming to town, followed by Taylormania – A Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tribute on Sunday, September 28.
A temporary back-of-house area will be in Lavender Gardens so shows can continue at The Hexagon throughout the remainder of the programme of work, including Reading’s ever-popular Pantomime which this year features CBeebies star Justin Fletcher in Beauty and the Beast.
At the event, Mr Brown explained: “We are delighted to carry on our working relationship with RBC.
“We recently finished the conversion of the Arthur Hill Pool, and this will carry on that relationship helping Reading reach their net-zero targets.
“The team is now fully ensconced on the project now and ready to get going – we’re looking forward to working with all of the team here to providehopefully a smooth and trouble-free experience.
“I was reminded by my mum that we came here around fifty years ago, not long after it opened, to see a panto, so it will be a great pleasure for me to come again at the next opening in the spring of 2027– we’re looking forward to it.”
Ms Picardo said: “This is a really momentous occasion for us; we’ve been working on this for the last two years, through the design, and now through two years of construction.
“While it will be a four year project, I know it has been in the thoughts and minds of those at the Hexagon for longer than that.
She explained: “We’re really excited about this project– it’s going to be a great offering to complement the amazing main house with the new Studio Theatre.
“And it’s going to be a deep-green building, constructed from timber frame, with green roofs, and ground source heat pumps to push that green agenda.
“It will offer a flexible studio theatre which can adapt and extend the current offerings of the Hexagon.
“So it’s a really important, exciting juncture for us, and we’re thrilled to be working with such a visionary client team, both at the Hexagon and at Reading Borough Council.”
Lead Counciller Liz Terry explained: “This is more than just a building project, of course–it’s about Reading and about the people, and the regeneration of this part of town, which we’ll call the Minster Quarter.
“It’s been an important project for a long time now– the area is a 60s/70s concrete manifestation of buildings, which have their place and their time.
“Being born and bred here, I remember my school being one of those selected to attend when Queen Elizabeth II visited, being part of the parade.
“I loved the area, but didn’t always appreciate it, so this is an exciting time, a new cultural beacon being built for us, starting with the studio theatre, and then the Minster Quarter development.
“I think it will really transform this part of town, so we were delighted to have secured government funding– and we’re making a good contribution to make sure this goes ahead because it’s such an important project.”
Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward said: “The Hexagon is iconic, and such a distinctive building, but has been quite isolated, and it feels like the area has been on pause.
“We have some really exciting plans for the whole Minster Quarter, including revitalising The Hexagon, expanding its range of shows, improved get-ins, which has been an issue, and the new studio theatre.
“If you love live performance, having two theatres on your doorstep as well as a studio and community space, more cafe space– we really want to use the asset we have here, and the Hexagon will have the setting it’s always deserved.”
She explained: “[Labour’s last Shadow Culture Secretary] Thangam Debbonaire spoke in terms of joy and economic growth, and the two things coming together.
“And we are becoming a powerhouse of culture and growth, with Shinfield Studios on the doorstep, and we’re looking at how we can skill people up to support that, how we can bring that growth into the centre for the town.
“We have to give people a reason to come into the town centre, especially as retail shifts online, and this is going to deliver that.
“Part of the council’s job is to be a bit of a lodestone for that– we need to be part of that network, bringing some of those big ticket shows here and working with cultural partners who use the spaces.
“The more we can offer, the more we get in return, and the more it strengthens everyone, including independent theatre, businesses, and arts organisations, which is all symbiotic.”
