The REP
The Library of Birmingham will be physically integrated with Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The REP). They will be joined at ground floor and first floor levels and will share a foyer, bars, restaurants and a new 300 seat studio theatre.
The REP’s focus is essentially on the spoken word, that of The Library on the written word. But they both encourage a love of literature, reading, and the spoken word and work with a diverse audience and young people.
Whilst the Library of Birmingham and The REP will retain their own clear identities, the development will bring together an exciting and complementary mix of cultural activity, opening up creative possibilities in shared interest areas such as new writing and the emerging artforms of performance poetry and live literature. The teams at the Library and The REP already work together on events for families – storytelling and drama workshops, and now there is the potential to develop this. The REP is the city’s only major producing theatre and the new 300-seat studio theatre will enable the theatre to significantly expand the range and number of dramatic works it can produce and present.
Many of the most recent successful productions at The REP have been adaptations of books. These have included Wuthering Heights, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, His Dark Materials and The Snowman. Conversely, the library is envisioned as a kind of theatre of learning and discovery.
