DAME Judi Dench is backing a full-size reconstruction in London of The Rose theatre, the Shakespearean playhouse that rivalled the Globe.The theatre was the set for Shakespeare in Love. Dame Judi, who won an Oscar for her performance as Elizabeth I in the film, was so impressed by the set's authenticity that she urged David Parfitt, the producer, not to pull it down.
Unlike traditional, wobbly, theatre sets, this was carved in oak and topped with a thatched roof. "It took my breath away when I saw it," Dame Judi said, and, determined to find another use for it, set about finding one.
Through her involvement, there are now plans to rebuild it on the site of the Sam Collins Music Hall, which was built in 1850 and burnt down in 1958. Since then the site - on the corner of Islington Green and Essex Road in North London - has become derelict and is now a car park.
The reconstruction project is part of a £27 million development supported by the Collins Music Hall Trust and the Old Vic Theatre. CZWG, a leading firm of architects, has drawn up intricate plans for a scheme that would involve building the theatre three storeys underground, with a ground-level glass roof. The theatre alone would cost about £7 million. To fund it, an innovative £20 million residential development above is planned, its design inspired by the same architecture.
Hugh Rosen, the development director of the music hall trust, said: "Imagine standing on the stage of The Globe, with . . . the balconies above you. Instead of balconies, there will be flats . . . a mirror image of the same shape [below ground]." To raise funds for the theatre's running costs, a restaurant and pub with a Shakespearean theme are planned. Mr Rosen noted that, when the music-hall fell on hard times, Collins, an entrepreneur, opened a rooming house. "That's exactly what we're doing," he said. "It will be self-sufficient."
The Rose was first opened in 1587. Shakespeare wrote for it and performed on its stage. In reaction to its success, The Globe was opened 12 years later.
The Rose - to be reconstructed from hundreds of sections (it is being stored in eight 40ft trailers) - will offer a mix of Shakespeare, commercial and experimental work. There will also be educational programmes throughout the day. Otherwise, Mr Rosen pointed out, theatre buildings are wasted.
Unlike The Globe, which is open to the elements and closes during the winter, The Rose, protected by glass, will be able to open all year, with its audience always kept warm and dry.