The performance space is contained within a beautiful 28m-diameter 4-pole big top tent. Manufactured by Canobbio in Milan the worlds leading tent manufacturers it has a "champagne" exterior colour and a royal maroon interior colour. The almost white exterior colour helps the tent to stay cool in the summer but is most important at night when the entire tent can become a shimmering fantasy of coloured light. Luke Losy famous for his award winning work with Orbital at the Royal Albert Hall has undertaken the exterior lighting design for the Mamaloucos show. The exterior can be illuminated with motifs and logos of your choice for any event.

The tent material is certified 98% light proof making projection and theatre lighting possible during the day. The tent is one of only two in the UK that uses a large circular roof piece (cupola). This new idea provides an 8m wide roof space that is a significant improvement on the rigging potential of a traditional circus tent, but the greatest advantage is the fact it does not need the midway support poles needed in older designs. This provides clear sight lines from nearly all angles.

An acoustic survey of the tent interior has been undertaken by Arup and partners  to tune the interior acoustics for a live orchestra with the resultant addition of acoustic damping and reflective pieces to facilitate this. Figures are available for the acoustic insulative properties of the tent.

The fact that the tent is brand new, microwave welded throughout and uses double overlap rain flaps means that the tent is rainproof throughout. Integral tunnels link the bar and foyer tents are so that once the public are in they stay dry wherever they are within the venue. 

The Bar contains a 5m wide fitted circular bar with glass fronted fridges and optics. The foyer has serving areas for food and merchandise and between them the foyer and  bar have tables and chairs for 100.

The Seating

The seating has been designed to cause minimum interference of a performance by late arrivals and people going to the toilet etc, by having exits with stairs at the rear of the seating tier. This  avoids the conspicuous exiting of people across sight lines during the show which tends to interrupt the suspension of disbelief. Our Cabaret seating can  be put in what is normally the ring space to boost capacity to 700. The normal capacity being 580. At the rear of the seating tier is a gallery 2m off the ground that that circles the tent with small tables and chairs laid out like royal boxes !

Dressing Room

A specially converted heated dressing room artic trailer with pull out compartments contains wardrobe and makeup facilities including mirrors storage and a washing machine.

The new Mamaloucos venue is the fruit of an 18-month study into the demands of touring theatre in a tented venue undertaken by Mamaloucos Circus and the Royal National Theatre Education Department. The tent will be the future home of the notorious Mamaloucos Circus shows and this year will be host to the Royal National Theatre Education Department's production of Joan Littlewood's Oh What a Lovely  War. The study looked at the inherent problems associated with the traditional circus tent as a space for theatre and sought to create a complete venue that is a beautiful and inviting  experience. In addition the rigorous demands of  touring and a high technical specification were considered. The result is an incredible outdoor theatre that is suitable for a wide range of events with an un-paralleled level of facilities.

The Mamaloucos theatre tent includes the following equipment, which is all brand-new for 1998 see following pages for fuller details.

• Fully equipped theatre, foyer and bar tents linked by integral tunnels


• Seating for up to 700 people with tables and chairs in bar and foyer for 100


• Comprehensive lighting rig with 86 channel desk


• Upgradeable 24 channel live music P.A.


• 100KVA Super Silenced generator with extensive distribution


• Attractive wood grain stage with velvet drapes and cat walk


• Artic trailer mounted dressing rooms for up to 20 performers


• Combined Box Office and Production office


• Full Warm air heating

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