A sloping stage which is raised at the back (upstage) end. Many theatres with a ‘stalls’ seating area used to be built with raked stages as a matter of course. Today, the stage is often left flat and the auditorium is lifted to stage level and above to improve the view of the stage from all seats.
A rake is expressed as a ratio (eg a 1:25 rake rises by 1cm vertically over 25cm horizontally).
Raked Stages were used in some of the first purpose-built indoor theatres from the Renaissance period in Europe and were a way to improve sightlines for the audience at floor level, and to ensure that actors were visible to everyone. Rakes were also used to enhance the use of perspective scenery. Modern theatres are rarely (if ever) built with raked stages, as the seating is now usually raked.
Problems of Raked Stages
Scenery (and especially any platform, wheeled or not) must be constructed with the rake in mind. Automated scenery on a raked stage is very problematic. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in London’s Dominion Theatre had to contend with the raked stage, and the Beasts’ castle truck which had to rotate and move around the stage required complex additional systems to ensure it re-levelled itself automatically when rotating.
Stage Management would often have to adjust furniture to fit on the raked stage (e.g. sawing the leg off a 3-legged stool so it could be safely sat on by an actor).
UK Theatres with Raked Stages
See below for London / West End.
List under construction – please Contact Us with additions!
Steepest Rakes
- Ilkley, Kings Hall (1:8? / 1:10?) one of the steepest in Europe
- Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, Palace (1:18)
- Crewe, Lyceum Theatre (1:18)
Other UK theatres
- Aberdeen, His Majesty’s (1:28 approx, earlier quoted as 1:34)
- Blackpool, Grand Theatre (front two-thirds raked 1:24; remaining 1:48)
- Blackpool, Opera House
- Brighton, Theatre Royal (1:48)
- Buxton, Opera House
- Cardiff, New Theatre (1:24)
- Darlington, Civic Theatre
- Edinburgh, Kings Theatre (1:24) – removed in 2020 refurbishment
- Edinburgh, Royal Lyceum (1:24)
- Glasgow, Kings Theatre (1:24)
- Harrogate Theatre (1:24)
- Isle Of Man, Gaiety Theatre (1:24)
- Leeds, Grand Theatre (1:24?) was formerly double raked (1:25 and 1:28 downstage) reduced and evened during stage house updated of 2006
- Malvern, Festival Theatre (1:24)
- Margate, Theatre Royal (1:20)
- Newcastle, Theatre Royal (1:24) rake kept due to sightline
- Newcastle, Tyne Theatre & Opera House (1:24)
- Nottingham, Theatre Royal (1:25)
- Sheffield, Lyceum
- Southend, Cliffs (1:21? / 1:20?)
- Sunderland, Empire – rake removed as part of stage house improvements
- Southsea, Kings (1:24)
- Stockport, Plaza (slightly raked)
- Wakefield (1:30)
- Wolverhampton, Grand Theatre (1:26)
UK London/West End Theatres with Raked Stages
Arts: 1:20
Aldwych: 1:18 (or 1:24 – to be clarified)
Barbican Theatre: 1:15 (removable)
Duke of Yorks: 1:70
Garrick: 1:24 (or 1:30 – to be clarified)
Gielgud: 1:48
Hackney Empire: 1:31
Harold Pinter: 1:29
Haymarket Theatre Royal: 1:16
Novello Theatre: Slight rake
Old Vic: 1:16 (or 1:22 – to be clarified)
Palace: 1:24
Sondheim Theatre (Queens): 1:24
Richmond Theatre: 1:24
Sadler’s Wells: 1:54
Savoy: 1:120
Steiner Theatre: Slight rake
Theatre Royal Stratford East: 1:24
Theatre Royal Drury Lane (was 1:24) removed in 2020/1 refurbishment
Vaudeville: 1:24
Victoria Palace: 1:24
Westminster: 1:96
Wimbledon Theatre: 1:32
Keywords; History of raked stages, history raked stage, history rake stage