Broadway Theatre in Catford, south-east London, is a Grade II listed building with a striking red auditorium, decorative arches and a range of interesting spaces beyond the main stage.
I was commissioned to produce an interactive 360 virtual tour and a collection of still photographs of the theatre. Broadway now features the tour on its official venue hire website, allowing prospective hirers to explore the auditorium, seating areas, bars and other spaces before arranging a visit.
It's a good example of how 360 photography and conventional still photography can work together. The virtual tour helps people understand the layout and scale of the venue, while the photographs highlight its architecture, interiors and individual spaces.
Explore Broadway Theatre in 360
Take a look around the theatre. You can explore the auditorium from the stage, front stalls, raised stalls and dress circle, then move through other parts of the building, including the gallery areas, bars, function room and studio stage.
It's particularly interesting to see how the auditorium changes from different viewpoints. Standing virtually on the stage gives you a completely different impression from looking towards it from the dress circle.
Photographing Broadway Theatre's Architecture and Interiors
Broadway Theatre is a Grade II listed building dating from the 1930s, and its architecture is a large part of what makes the venue special.
I wanted the photography to show both the scale of the building and the details that give it its character, rather than simply recording each room.
The main auditorium is an especially impressive space. The red seating, sweeping arches, decorative plasterwork and suspended lighting all contribute to its distinctive appearance.
Photographing a theatre like this is about getting the balance right. You want to show the scale and architectural details, but also represent the colours, lighting and atmosphere accurately.
With conventional still photography, I can choose a composition that brings these elements together. With 360 photography, I have to consider the entire room, because the viewer can turn and look in every direction.
Both have their place.
More Than the Main Auditorium
An important part of the Broadway Theatre project was photographing the spaces beyond the main auditorium.
The theatre's bar is a popular local meeting place and an important part of the venue's business. I wanted to give it the same attention as the performance spaces, showing its distinctive interior and welcoming atmosphere.
From the ornate auditorium to the more relaxed surroundings of the bar, each part of the building has its own character and a different role to play.
These spaces are particularly relevant when a theatre is being considered for private hire, corporate events or other functions.
An organiser needs to understand more than the performance space itself. The arrival areas, bars, circulation spaces and additional rooms are all part of the experience.
I also photographed some of the areas behind the scenes, including the dressing rooms.
The illuminated mirrors, long dressing tables and practical layout tell a different part of the theatre's story. It's a working environment, and one that could be particularly relevant to visiting productions.
Broadway also has a separate studio performance space, which provides another contrast with the ornate main auditorium.
Showing these different spaces is one of the advantages of combining still photography with an interactive tour. A collection of photographs can highlight individual rooms, while the tour gives visitors the freedom to explore the wider building.
A Virtual Tour That Supports Theatre Venue Hire
What I particularly like about this project is that Broadway Theatre has put the finished tour to practical use.
You can find it on the theatre's official virtual tour and venue hire page, where prospective hirers can explore the venue before arranging a visit.
For someone planning a production, corporate event or private function, that's a useful starting point.
They can look around the auditorium, understand the different seating areas and explore some of the other spaces in the building. It gives them a much clearer sense of the venue than a handful of photographs alone.
The still photographs complement that experience, providing individual images for websites, event promotion, press and venue hire material.
There's also value for audiences who want to familiarise themselves with a theatre before attending a performance.
And over time, the photography creates a lasting visual record of the building, its interiors and architectural character.
Broadway Theatre – 360 Virtual Tour Walkthrough
This short walkthrough gives a quick introduction to the Broadway Theatre virtual tour, moving between the auditorium, seating areas, staircase and foyer. The full interactive tour near the top of this page lets you explore the spaces for yourself.
360 Virtual Tours for Other Theatres and Performance Venues
Broadway Theatre is a good example of how I approach this type of work: combining carefully produced photography with an interactive tour that people can actually use.
I work with theatres, galleries, exhibitions, hotels and other commercial and cultural spaces, producing high-resolution 360 photography alongside conventional still images where required.
The tour can be embedded directly into an existing website, and I include lifetime hosting at no additional cost, without an ongoing hosting subscription.
You can see more examples of my 360 photography and virtual tour work.
If you manage a theatre, performance venue or cultural building and would like something similar for your own venue, I'd be happy to discuss what's possible.