Staging

A definition…

• Staging is the position of the acting area in

relation to the audience.

• The Acting area is the part of the available

space occupied by the set and used by the
actors when acting.
 THRUST
• The audience is on
three sides and the
stage has an area
that protrudes
forward.

• Cumbernauld Theatre
is an example of a
thrust stage.
AVENUE
The audience sits on
two sides of the
acting area.

BlackWatch – award winning

drama by Gregory Burke was
presented by the National
Theatre of Scotland in avenue
staging in a variety of venues
including the Fruitmarket and
SECC.
 THEATRE IN THE ROUND

• The audience sits on

all four sides of the
acting area.

• The Circle studio at

the Citizens’ theatre is
an example of theatre
in the round.
END ON

• The audience is
positioned in front of
the acting area.

• The Tron theatre is an

example of end on
staging.
 PROMENADE

• The action takes place in different areas and the audience move to
follow it. Recently a play by David Leddy - Sub Rosa was staged
as a promenade performance at the Citizens. The audience were
taken all through the backstage area, corridors and rehearsal rooms
as the action of the play unfolded.
 PROSCENIUM ARCH

• The audience is
positioned in front of
the stage and the
stage is “framed”

• Theatre Royal, Kings

Theatre and Citizens
all have proscenium
arch stages.
 Areas of the Stage

• The acting area is divided

USR USC USL
into nine sections.
CSR CS CSL

• In this way
DSR DSC DSL
actors/directors/stage
managers/set designers,
technicians etc. can
identify the different parts
AUDIENCE
of the acting space.
 Upstage/Downstage

• When theatres were first

established in the 1500s
upstage the majority of the
audiences had to stand.
Stages were built on a
downstage
rake which meant they
sloped down towards the
audience, so actors up at
the back of the stage
would not be masked by
actors at the front.
 Upstage Upstage Upstage
Right Centre Left

Centre Stage Centre Centre Stage

Right Stage Left
Downstage Downstage Downstage
Right Centre Left

Audience