Lloyd Webber funds Paines Plough touring Roundabout auditorium

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has donated £150,000 to Paines Plough to fund the build of a touring Roundabout auditorium – the fully self-contained in-the-round auditorium that will flat pack into a lorry and pop up anywhere from theatres to school halls and sports centres across the country.

Paines Plough, a national touring theatre company, toured with a prototype in 2012 – the donation will allow the organisation to build a permanent 111-seater venue, which has been designed by Lucy Osborne.

James Grieve and George Perrin, artistic directors, Paines Plough, said: “We are hugely grateful to The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation for its game-changing support of The Roundabout Auditorium. We are thrilled the foundation shares our passion for finding new ways to enable more people around the country to experience new plays. Its support will play a major role in making Roundabout possible, meaning our pop-up in-the-round touring amphitheatre will hit the road with a repertory of three outstanding new plays, offering audiences everywhere a unique theatrical experience.

“For years to come, the best new plays will turn up on people’s doorsteps in theatres, school halls, sports centres, warehouses and even parks. The ALW Foundation is supporting us to make this touring revolution possible, and we are galvanised as we seek to build a legacy of enjoyment of new plays in every corner of Britain.”