1957
Richard Pilbrow founds Theatre Projects as a lighting design and rental company in London.
1960
Theatre Projects' lighting and sound companies become pre-eminent in the British theatre, establishing a reputation for design excellence and technological innovation. This leads to commissions on Broadway and elsewhere.
1963
Theatre Projects Associates is formed to produce West End productions, including musicals with Broadway legend Harold Prince. We go on to produce over 30 productions, including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Fiddler on the Roof, and Cabaret.
1965
The Theatre Projects/ London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art's Stage Management and Technical Theatre begins. The Theatre Projects Trust, an independent charity, is formed in 1970 to present UK regional theatre productions in the West End and to operate the joint LAMDA course until 1990.
Richard Pilbrow is appointed by Sir Laurence Olivier to be the lighting director of the National Theatre of Great Britain and later the theatre consultant to the new building on London's South Bank.
1968
Continued consulting for new theatre buildings leads to Theatre Projects Consultants (TPC), a separate company within Theatre Projects. Within ten years TPC grows to 30 people working on projects in 20 countries. The team includes scenic, lighting and sound designers, management consultants, mechanical and electrical engineers, former stage and company managers, architects, producers and a theatre historian.
1970
TPC goes international, with projects in Portugal, Spain, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Iceland and Mexico during the early 1970s. Responding to market needs, we expand our consultancy beyond technical design to include feasibility and management studies, theatre planning and auditorium and stage design.
1976
The Royal National Theatre of Great Britain opens. Among many innovations in stage engineering, lighting, and sound, the lighting control console Lightboard, designed by TPC, sets the standard and leads to today’s most sophisticated lighting control systems. The Cottesloe Theatre exemplifies the rediscovery of the courtyard theatre form and becomes a model that is copied around the world.
1978
Our first major renovation project, Theatre Royal, opens in Nottingham and marks a turning point in our design philosophy. This renovation shows that theatres of the past can be the inspiration for lively theatres in the future.
1980
The Tricycle Theatre, built entirely out of free-standing scaffolding and sailcloth within an existing community hall, opens in London. Our original design is so successful the theatre is rebuilt after a fire devastates it in 1987. Today, it’s still one of the most intimate and popular fringe theatres in London.
1981
We expand our operations in the US with the appointment of Wally Russell as president. In 1985 we open our first North American multiple-venue arts complex, the Calgary (Epcor) Centre for the Performing Arts. And in 1987 our first major US project opens, the Portland (Oregon) Center for the Performing Arts.
1983
The world's first multi-purpose, multi-form theatre, Derngate, opens in Northampton. Its flexibility - concert hall, theatre, arena and flat floor configurations - makes it the most active arts centre in the UK. This inspires the Cerritos Center for the Arts, a multi-form theatre which opens in California in 1993.
1988
We restructure and sell our rental and equipment companies as TP Services to focus on theatre design consulting.
1991
Steppenwolf Theatre, the first contemporary American drama theatre to be inspired by the rich traditions of Broadway theatre architecture, opens in Chicago. Following its success, we create Broadway-style drama theatres for a number of regional repertory theatres including San Jose Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and South Coast Repertory Theatre.
1993
The historic Savoy Theatre in London’s West End reopens after suffering extensive fire damage in 1990. The original 1929 art deco interior was on England’s National Heritage list, so we worked meticulously to accurately restore the auditorium to its former glory.
1994
Glyndebourne, a contemporary interpretation of a traditional opera house, opens in Sussex.
Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, the first indoor/outdoor concert hall to be inspired by the classic 'shoe box' concert hall tradition, opens in Lenox, Massachusetts.
1996
Our Singapore office opens and we expand across Southeast Asia. Six years later (2002) one of the most important performing arts complexes in Asia, the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay opens, promoting multicultural exchange between eastern and western cultures.
1997
New Amsterdam Theatre, one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau, reopens with Disney's The Lion King as part of New York City's 42nd Street redevelopment.
2001
The first permanent home of the Academy Awards®, the Kodak Theatre, opens. The Academy Awards® is the world's largest TV broadcast event, reaching one billion viewers on Oscar night.
2002
We receive the Queen's Award for Enterprise in recognition of our achievements around the world. And in honor of our 45th anniversary, we receive an Eddy Award for 45 years of design excellence.
2003
Walt Disney Concert Hall opens, becoming one of the world's most famous modern concert halls. We produce Walt Disney Concert Hall - The Backstage Story, written by Pat MacKay and Richard Pilbrow. The book tells the story behind the building's architecture, planning and technology.
2006
We reorganize and transfer ownership of the firm to a new generation of leaders. Richard Pilbrow becomes founder and chairman emeritus.
2007
We celebrate our 50th anniversary with 1,000 projects, 60 countries and 45 employees.
2008
The Oslo Opera House, home of the Norwegian National Opera, opens and quickly becomes a cultural landmark.
We continue to grow, opening regional offices in Shanghai and Düsseldorf, adding three new partners, and expanding to 59 employees.
2009
After more than 25 years of planning, the Dalllas Arts District gets two new, world-class facilities - the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House and the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
2010
Theatre Projects publishes Theaters 2: Partnerships in Facility Use, Operations, and Management along with Holzman Moss Architecture and JaffeHolden.
