RSC's IT Much Ado About Something

Performance group uses IPTV technology to enhance staff involvement with productions

Cutting edge: live performances will be relayed across the theatre via IPTV

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is using an IPTV network to relay live performance footage across its theatre and offices in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The performance group has secured more than £100m funding for the redesign of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which will eventually cater for 1,030 audience members. The project also involves the relocation of staff, but the use of IP video will prevent a breakdown in communication.

“People who used to have a very strong link with what was going on in the building are now spread over a number of sites,” said Simon Harper, deputy project director at the RSC.

“As our core work is what we put on stage, it is very important to us that the people based in satellite offices do not lose that involvement.”

A closed IP network streams video from a camera based in the central auditorium to eight digital screens, situated around the RSC’s Chapel Lane offices. Deployment of the technology was completed at Christmas and is now being used by the theatre’s staff.

The next stage of the scheme will be to link the system with the RSC’s network, allowing footage to be viewed from any connected computer. And the versatile nature of IP will help the company to stay flexible in the information it shares, said Harper.

“We wanted something that could take live images and any other content we wished to generate, so that we could communicate with staff,” he said.

“It was also important that the network could support several channels, because while we are only running one theatre now, there will be three by the time this project is completed.”

The theatre has long used video as a means to keep backstage workers in touch with the progress of live performances, but the rise of unified communications has opened new possibilities, said Harper.

“Before, we had a very rudimentary system that would broadcast pictures to the back-of-house areas, to those directly involved with a production. This is a more accessible setup,” he said.

The RSC’s IPTV system is provided by supplier Exterity.