Birmingham Library Theatre

Studio theatre now in new library next to the shop:)
Its a fairly small venue, but the acoustics and lighting are good. Seating was also comfortable for the hour or so I was there and temperature reasonable:) T
There is a small selection of drinks and snacks you can buy too just as you go in:)

Birmingham’s central library, I find, is so huge and large I easily get lost around the floors. I personally don’t really like our city’s main library just for the fact that it is just too big and confusing. I find that it’s also not really organised as a library itself, I may have just been blind or stupid at the time but the way that their books, supplies and facilities is way to complicated for me. It’s also quite a busy library and perhaps a bit too packed out for me whenever I go. I prefer more of a library where not so many people are about. This may be your cup of tea, to perhaps socialise in huge spaces whilst studying or doing what you do in a library but it’s not for me and I do try to avoid having to go to this particular library.

Dull, dark, dingy and extremely dated. That’s how I would describe the current Birmingham Library Theatre.
I’ve only been there once and unless it has a refurbishment I won’t be going again. We went to watch a friends independent production which in itself was great but unfortunately we couldn’t get over how run down the venue looked.
I don’t think it helped that there was a blockage in the toilet that evening so there was a foul smell lingering in the corridors which made me feel a little sick from the moment I entered.
I know that they are busy developing a brand new, multimillion pound library in the centre of Birmingham so I just hope they’ve remembered to find a home for the theatre as it would be a shame to leave it behind and destroy yet another creative venue in the heart of the city.

I came to this theatre for a BBC talk as part of the Birmingham Book Festival. I was quite surprised as I had to go up a few flights of stairs and corridors before I found the actual theatre. I found this a bit annoying and the whole place seemed a bit dreary with paint flaking off the walls and a couple of flickering lights here and there. At one point I did wonder if I had the right place. The auditorium itself was quite small and I when I sat down the seats started to move, every time my friend and I spoke the whole row of chairs began to shake! It was a really bizarre experience and it set us off giggling, which is rather inappropriate when attending a talk. I think the whole place needs updating or at least a lick of paint here and there, as otherwise it would be quite cosy for talks and small plays.

I spent a happy afternoon in hear as part of the Book Festival. I’d been in once before, also part of a previous book festival, listening to the excellent Jennie Éclair rant on (aptly) about the Per Una woman. At that time she had sold out the original venue and they moved it at the last minute to the scrumptious larger theatre in here. It was great to go back for a writing workshop in one of the smaller rooms. Upon entering you couldn’t imagine that all these rooms exist beyond the drab entrance but they do!
I went on to hear two more writers talk about writing and getting their book published before having some time to linger in the pop-​up book store, with plenty of autographed books for sale.
Then there was one more Q&A with an author to make my afternoon complete. Do go if you have a chance of attending an event here as I’m not sure what will happen once the new central library has opened.