One of the nation’s oldest theatres celebrates its recent restoration with a full rebrand, courtesy of Brighton agency Good Noise.
Theatre Royal Brighton is one of the UK’s oldest and most iconic theatres. A key player in the UK’s dramatic landscape since its opening in 1807, it’s renowned for both its rich history and stunning architecture. Today, it hosts a diverse range of performances, from West End hits to local productions, and is cherished by both locals and out-of-town visitors.
But no institution can rest on its laurels forever. Hence, the Grade II* listed theatre has just completed a 17-month restoration project, which included restoring the external terracotta façade and columns and updating seating within the auditorium.
In the wake of this restoration, the theatre decided to launch a comprehensive rebrand and refreshed brand identity. So they turned to Good Noise, a Brighton-based creative agency specialising in branding for food, drink and hospitality.
Brand strategy
As Theatre Royal Brighton approaches its 218th year, the rebrand aims to celebrate its rich history while modernising its image to appeal to a new generation of theatregoers.
Good Noise has created a cohesive visual system that will be applied across all touchpoints, from the theatre’s signage and print materials to its digital presence and social media channels.
Above all, this new brand identity captures the essence of Theatre Royal Brighton’s mission: to be a vibrant, welcoming and dynamic cultural hub.
Visual identity
The rebrand includes a full overhaul of the theatre’s visual identity, encompassing a new logo, colour palette, typography, and comprehensive design system. New internal wayfinding will follow in the next phase of the project.
These visuals are rooted in the theatre’s illustrious past. Inspiration is drawn from the historic playbills in its archive, most notably a bold woodblock type used in posters from the 1920s.
Good Noise adopted a similar typeface and used colours that complement the theatre’s interior decor as the basis of the logo. It added ‘cuts’ across the face of the letters. These were then purposely misaligned in sections to represent a stage curtain, adding a sense of movement and anticipation.
The new brand was unveiled to the public with a series of celebratory events and promotions. It’s hoped it will help reinvigorate interest in the theatre and attract a broader audience, ensuring its place as a cultural cornerstone in Brighton for years to come.
“Working on the rebrand for Theatre Royal Brighton has been an inspiring journey,” says Steve Campion, creative director at Good Noise. “We wanted to create a brand identity that reflects the theatre’s historic charm and cultural significance while also introducing elements that represent the charm of Brighton to engage and attract modern audiences.”
“As long-time Brightonians, it was an incredible privilege for us at Good Noise to be chosen as the branding and design partner for Theatre Royal Brighton,” says managing director Peter Collingridge. “The team’s boundless enthusiasm is infectious, and we loved that we could meet and work with so many staff members from all departments.
“Their knowledge was invaluable in informing our design work, which aims to embrace the next generation of theatregoers while respecting the history and heritage that is omnipresent in the theatre.”
Theatre director Sophie Denney adds: “It was important for us that the theatre’s new visual identity not only respected its rich history but also matches its current ambition in delivering an exceptional programme on our stage and impactful creative learning outreach, helping us engage with as wide and diverse an audience as possible.”
“Good Noise worked with us on the brand positioning and strategy to help redefine the personality of the brand, which laid the foundation for the creative work that followed and informed how we move forward as an organisation in an exciting time within the theatre industry. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of what we acknowledge was a challenging brief.”
