In the current era, traditional theatre that was once historically prevalent in culture, is critically ill due to its inability to thrive in the present. Conventional theatre has failed the Derby Hippodrome and surrounding context, resulting in its deterioration. Through Derby’s rich history of video games, the exploration of Esports arenas as the theatre of the future will rejuvenate the depleted context, through the growing typology, socially and economically. The development of physical stage performance to virtual, will satisfy the cultural addiction for the “clutch moment”. The pinnacle of a performance and emotions, where a performer defies all odds to win, creating an explosive atmosphere.
The Hippodrome’s historic damage has resulted in the remnants of a grade two listed brick façade, which has inspired an architectural obsession into the manipulation of brick. Combined with the theatrical foci of the users journey to further convey the narrative of the “clutch moment” warping the architecture and pulling the user in. The theatre of the future should transfer the gravitational effect that the “clutch moment” has on the audience, architecture and materiality. Psychologically portraying this effect to the users through their journey to the performance. Using it to separate them from the real world, so the full experience can be encountered. The use of identical brick, links the historic and future theatres visually, with elements of the Hippodrome, transferred and adapted to suit the requirements of the future theatre. The proposal challenges the concept of theatre, by advancing the year to 2041 and thus has advancements in the technological abilities of today. Once entered all surfaces act as though the explosion of clutch has been frozen, with the resulting rippling brick in place, creating the technical areas that are required for operation. Whilst simultaneously guiding the users towards the centre performance space.