AULTBEA HALL
Sept 2001 Mick Andrew
General Information
Address: Aultbea Hall, Aultbea, Ross-shire IV22 2JR
- Venue is on road through village towards Mellon Charles, just past Pier Rd. Car park adjacent to venue. Plans exist to convert hall into a WW2 museum, dependent on funding for required upgrade.
- Built as WW2 cinema and dance hall for the Military – known as The Garrison Theatre. Is a large Nissan hut, upgraded subsequently.
- Capacity 120 if stage used, up to 80 if performing on floor. Stacking, non-interlocking, plastic chairs. Tiered rostra available for seating rake with handrails if arranged.
- Mobile reception variable. Nearest payphone on Pier Rd (2 mins walk).
- Aultbea has hotels, cafe, general store, & Post Office. Banks & cashpoint at Gairloch (11 miles), petrol at Laide (3 miles).
Hall Details
- Hall Dimensions: 9.55M (31’4”) wide x 17.52M (57’6”) long. Height at side walls 2.59M (8’6”) rising to 5.38M (17’8”) at centre – roof is curved.
- Stage: 5.69M (18’8”) wide x 3.51M (11’6”) deep. Height of proscenium 3.35M (11’), height of stage 0.86M (2’10”). Wings SL 0.56M (1’10”), SR negligible. Crossover through back corridor. Access treads off stage right in corridor. Mobile access treads available.
- Décor: floor dark brown hardboard covered with Badminton Court markings; walls apple green lower, lighter green upper; roof light green. FOH tabs dark green.
- Get-in: through hall fire exit, straight, 1 step down off road, 1 set double doors. Approx 10M from van loading area to stage. 1.27M (4’2”) wide x 1.73M (5’8”) high. Alternative through FOH – longer, 3 sets double doors.
- Acoustics reasonable – ceiling has drape baffle.
- Blackout good – windows have made-to-measure blackout boards.
- Heating by wall-mounted red-glow quartz heaters.
- No piano. No smoke detectors.
- Small stepladder available.
Technical
- Power: 60amp 3-phase incomer in FOH switch room.
- Old stage lighting system – 2 Strand switched flood battens on stage, non-dim.
- No sound equipment.
- Houselights are switched fluorescents, switched at hall entrance or stage left wing.
Backstage
- 2 dressing rooms and separate toilets backstage (unusable at time of visit but planned to be upgraded). Other rooms available.
- Kitchen available (upstairs).
