What Are the Different Types of Theatre Stage?

While there are lots of things to consider when attending the theatre – from where to sit, to how much an interval ice cream is going to set you back – how the show will be staged is usually the last thing on most theatregoers’ minds!

You may be thinking “a stage is just a stage, right?” but there are actually many different types of theatre stages, each with its own pros, cons, quirks and considerations. Do you know your traverse from your thrust? Your proscenium from your promenade? Whether you’re a budding director, a student swotting up on theatre stage types for drama exams or just a curious theatre fan, our handy guide to stage configurations will have you up to speed in no time!

Proscenium Arch and End-on Stage

Proscenium arch staging is the most common type of theatre stage found in most UK and US venues – you have probably attended a theatre with a proscenium arch without even really registering what it is! Proscenium arch staging means that the stage is framed by an arch, usually highly decorative, stretching up from the bottom of the stage to the top – essentially creating a ‘window’ that the audience looks into to observe the action. The seats in a proscenium arch venue may be in a curve or a straight line, but they all face in the same direction, toward the theatre stage. 

End-on staging is very similar to proscenium arch staging, just without, well, the arch! An end-on theatre has the same layout, with the seats facing forward toward the stage, and the action framed by a ‘window’, usually in a square or rectangular shape.   

Our in-depth guide to proscenium arch stages and end-on stages has more history, pros & cons and top tips on where to sit!

Thrust Stage

Thrust staging may be the most cheekily named type of staging on our list, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Unlike a proscenium arch theatre, the stage emerges (or ‘thrusts’) out of its ‘frame’ and into the audience. As thrust staging is open on three sides, with the back ‘wall’ used for set or decoration, this can often make for a more intimate or immersive theatrical experience. 

One of the most famous examples of a thrust theatre in London is Shakespeare’s Globe, where standing audience members (known as Groundlings back in the day) can get up close and personal with the actors.   

You can find out more about the history, pros and cons and advice for where to sit in our in-depth guide to thrust staging.

In-the-round Theatre Stage

In-the-round staging is another quite straightforwardly named type of stage, but it can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the term – particularly as some ‘in the round’ theatres actually feel a bit more square than round! With in-the-round staging, the stage is moved into the very centre of the auditorium, and rather than having audiences all sit and watch from the same direction, seats surround the stage on all four sides.

In-the-round staging can present unique challenges for theatre makers, as they must direct the play in a way that ensures audience members on all sides have a good view throughout the show. As an audience member, there may be some scenes where some of the action is facing away from you.

Our guide to in-the-round staging, has tons more information, tips and pros & cons, and will have you feeling like an expert in no time!

Traverse Stage and On Stage Seating

What was it Shakespeare said? “A Traverse Stage by any other name would smell as sweet…” Or something like that. This type of theatre stage goes by many other names, including alley, corridor stage, tennis court, or catwalk! Not to be confused with the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh (which, ironically, does not have a traverse stage), in simple terms, a traverse theatre stage places the audience on either side of a usually long and narrow, or catwalk-like, stage.

Actors must cross or ‘traverse’ the long stage, so while traverse staging can present unique challenges in creating sets, it can also be an excellent way of depicting distance between actors and emphasising conflict. Most theatres aren’t permanently set up in a traverse layout, but theatres with flexible auditoriums and moveable seats, such as the Dorfman at the National Theatre, are set up in a traverse for specific productions. 

A lot of theatres that are laid out as proscenium arch or end-on also sometimes offer on-stage seating. This can create almost a ‘false’ traverse by adding a bank of seats on stage, though these sometimes have a few seats at the side too, which is why they aren’t truly traverse staging. These are often tiered and look down onto the stage, giving an up close and intimate view, as shown in the photo below.

The best place to sit in a traverse theatre is, of course, show-dependent, but generally all seats should offer a good view, particularly in smaller theatres.

Promenade Stage

To ‘promenade’ means to take a leisurely walk, and promenade staging does just that – although how leisurely the walk is may vary from theatre to theatre!

With promenade theatre stages, the action moves around from scene to scene. On a typical theatre stage, such as a proscenium, the action would be static, marking scene changes with blackouts, set changes or other bits of theatre magic. In a promenade theatre, one scene may take place in one part of the auditorium, with the audience travelling to another part of the auditorium, or even sometimes a different room altogether, for the next. Promenade theatre can feel very immersive, as if the audience is a part of the play rather than just an observer, and can be a great creative challenge for theatre makers. 

A lot of promenade theatre is staged outdoors – as it sometimes can be difficult to move audiences around inside theatres – but the Bridge Theatre in London has had landmark promenade productions of Guys and Dolls and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where audiences moved around inside the main auditorium as pieces of set were brought in and out by the technical team, and smaller stages emerged from the floor! 

Many promenade theatres don’t have seating, so make sure you’re comfortable with walking around and standing for prolonged periods before booking. The Bridge Theatre, however, does also offer seating in their balcony areas for those who prefer not to, or are unable to, stand.  

Arena Theatre Stage

Think arena theatre, think big, splashy productions in a large-scale auditorium. Concerts, special stagings of established shows – such as the Les Miserables 40th Anniversary Concert – and productions that need a bit more room, such as aerial or circus productions, are a few of the types of shows you might see at an arena theatre. Older venues may also refer to this as a Hippodrome theatre, such as the London Hippodrome or the Birmingham Hippodrome. Hippodrome theatres were another type of large, arena-style theatre that was particularly popular in the Victorian era for music hall performances, pantomimes and circuses. Hippodrome theatres take their title from the Ancient Greeks, where Hippodrome arenas were large, circular venues used for horse racing – “hippo” meaning horse in Greek, and “drome” meaning arena!

Arenas usually combine another type of seating arrangement within their large auditorium. In-the-round staging is the most common form of seating found in an arena theatre, with seats on all sides, but other types of seating can be found. A few examples of shows in arena theatres are Starlight Express at the Wembley Park Theatre, which is in-the-round, and plunges theatregoers into the heart of the action with ‘tracks’ that cut through the audience; and the ABBA arena, host to Abba Voyage, which uses end-on staging and a standing area on the Dance Floor to offer a clear view of the ‘ABBAtars’ and recreates the feeling of a real concert. 

Again, the best seats in an arena can be quite variable – as these theatres are usually quite large, up close seating will always feel more immersive, while you may feel a bit at a distance when sitting further back.

Black Box or Studio Theatre

A black box or studio theatre is a type of smaller, simplistic theatre, usually consisting of three plain black walls and a bank of seats. The seats usually face the stage head-on and on the same level as the stage, or sometimes looking down into the stage from a small bank of tiered seats. Some black box or studio spaces are adaptable and can lay out their seating in many of the above staging configurations.

Black box theatres are believed to have originated from the 20th-century American avant-garde theatre scene, and are most frequently found in smaller venues such as pub theatres, fringe theatres and drama schools. Some larger venues such as Sadler’s Wells have their own equivalent of a black box or studio theatre, alongside their main house. 

Open Air Theatre Stage

Open air theatres are one of the most straightforwardly named types of theatre stage! As you’d expect, this means theatre ‘in the open air’, aka theatre performed outside. Open air theatres might have a cover over the stage but not over the audience, or both actors and theatre goers might be completely exposed to the elements! Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is in the open air, with painted roof covering part of the stage. One of the most well-known open-air theatres in London is the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. It has a completely open stage – meaning actors might also get soggy if it rains! 

Open air theatres can offer an amazingly atmospheric experience, particularly when watching an evening show, because directors will often time the show to line up with the sunset in a dramatically pleasing way – such as in the 2024 production of Fiddler on the Roof, when moving ballad “Sunrise Sunset” was sung just as the sun dipped below the horizon!

Theatregoers for open air productions are advised to bring suncream and warm layers to account for the changeable weather, especially in the UK. Raincoats with a hood are generally permitted, but umbrellas are not allowed as they obscure other theatregoers’ views, so be wary that shows may be ‘rained off’ if inclement weather makes it unsafe to continue the performance – though theatres should always allow you to swap to another show should this happen.

Some open air theatres operate seasonally; Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre runs during the summer only, while the Globe operates year round. Sometimes open air theatre isn’t even performed on a stage – it can be performed in parks, amphitheatres or other outdoor performance spaces.

Again, the best view in open air theatres can be show or theatre dependent. The Globe Theatre offers standing tickets at a low price, which allow you to get up close to the stage but you can often be standing in one place for a long period of time, while the covered seating areas are more expensive and some may offer a restricted view. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre offers a great view from most seats, with seats up close being the best but further back seats giving a good overview at a lower price – some seats are in direct sunlight, while some are in the shade, which is worth bearing in mind for sunny days.

What’s Your Favourite Type of Theatre Stage?

Now you’re an expert on all the different types of theatre stage, you can impress all your friends with your stagey insider knowledge, and know exactly where to sit, depending on what type of theatre it is! Make sure to check out our user uploaded seat reviews for all the different types of theatre before you book, to choose your perfect seat, or even upload your own to earn Rewards Points.