Raising the Roof
As you may remember from the dim & distant pre-Covid times, the Committee had the idea to ‘Raise the Roof’
The issue:-
- The proscenium arch and the stage floor are too low
- Therefore, visibility from the floor of the hall of the stage is limited. (Use a usual stage height is three-foot to 3’6”). Shape of a normal stage is not ‘letterbox’ or 16×9, rather giving more height versus width, unlike the current stage.
- The stage in this condition is difficult to light, both from front and very difficult from above. The shape of the sides of stage (sloping roof) also make temporary storage of staging items (props, flats et cetera) very difficult.
- Solution:
Raise the roof over the stage to allow the proscenium arch to be lifted, and then the floor of the stage can be raised to a minimum of three feet.
- Advantages to new stage:
- Sightlines/audience view will be much improved
- Sound projection (non-– miked) will be improved
- Lighting opportunities will be much improved
- Stage usability will be improved.
- In addition to providing benefits to the audience the Project will also provide:
- Productions will be better and more easily staged.
- Other users of the Hall – parties, quizzes, meetings, school will benefit
- Player’s members will benefit from enhanced facilities, enabling even more adventurous productions.
- The Village will benefit from having an enhanced facility enabling even more variety of productions
- The Village Hall Trustees will benefit from a Hall with increased value and greater hire opportunities.
The picture, below, shows how the stage profile could be increased as the area in red will be removed and thus the proscenium arch will be raised so that the stage floor can also be heightened.
Well now that we have final costings for a slightly slimmed down project we would like to go ahead and proceed to raise the funds to finance the Project.
The total Cost will be about £135,000 and to date we have raised or have promises of about £45,000 from a variety of sources.
In due course, we will be approaching the big funders such as the National Lottery. However, experience tells us that such funders like to see the commitment of the people involved in the project which indicates to them that we are serious. Thus we have sought both financial contributions from the organisations that are responsible for Rotherfield Village Hall and also the members of the Rotherfield Players.
If you wish to contribute to the fund then please pay an amount to the account of The Society of the Rotherfield Players and mark the payment as "Roof" and also write to plays@rotherfieldplayers.co.uk so that we can record your payment in total confidence. The bank details are:
The Society of The Rotherfield Players:
Lloyds Bank
309897
46486460
Alternatively, if you wish to promise a sum towards this great project then please write to plays@rotherfieldplayers.co.uk and let us know how much you would wish to contribute when the building is underway.
