Onboard ORIANA

Theatre Royal

Situated on the forward end of the Promenade deck is ORIANA’s largest entertainment venue the Theatre Royal.

ORIANA's Promenade deck with Theatre Royal at the forward end.

The theatre’s entrances are located either side of the forward lifts and both are adorned with the traditional theatrical image of the two masks symbolizing comedy and tragedy, the style continues upon entering with a gently inclined ramp leading past photographs of famous stars from both stage and screen before reaching the double glass doors that allow access to the back of the theatre.

One of the two entrances.

The decorative scheme is in keeping with ORIANAs British style and consists of gold, blue and red, with the carpet design incorporating the Tudor rose motif which gives a almost Shakespearean element to the room.
Seating 650 people at one time and with two disabled bays each accommodating up to four wheelchairs, access to the seats is via one of three long stairways one either side of the room and one down the centre.
At the time of her entry into service ORIANA was virtually unique in that her theatre is designed as a traditional theatre meaning that unlike many other ships theatres which are more show lounge influenced there is no bar service or tables, it was felt by P&O that any such service would be a distraction from the performances on stage.

Looking towards the wheelchair bays and Control room.

Being a specialized area the designers of ORIANA employed the help of a theatre specialist John Wyckham to advise on seating, lighting and acoustics.
Behind its classic styling the Theatre Royal boasts several different types of modern technology which cover a range of aspects from passenger comfort to lighting.
To ensure theatres temperature is regulated it uses a air circulation system called Microclimate which releases air through the back of the seating rather than having the traditional ceiling mounted units.
The lighting, sound and stage systems are controlled by the production manager and technicians from the control room which is located at the rear of theatre.

View from the control room.

The stage it self also employs technology which allows it to host more elaborate productions, these include 3 projection screens two either side of the stage and a retractable one above the stage.
The stage also features a two way revolving centre section and a orchestra pit which can be raised for the musicians to be fully visible to the audience or lowered to lowered out of sight depending on the requirements of the show.
Areas of the theatre that passengers never see are some of the most important ones backstage.
These are the fully equipped dressing rooms, wardrobe room which is more accurately described as below the theatre which usually has about 1000 costumes stored in it , store rooms for the sets and other items and the theatre’s own workshop for repairs and modifications to sets.

A small area of the wardrobe room.

So successful was the Theatre Royal during ORIANA’s early years of service that when younger fleet mate AURORA entered service 5 years later her theatre The Curzon Theatre was one of the few spaces whose design was copied with only a few minor modifications.
In terms of the entertainment on offer in Theatre Royal
Mostly to be seen is The Headliners Theatre Company P&O’s own theatre group which perform a different musical production most evenings each lasting about 45 minutes and each based on a different theme which including different musical styles and being based on individual band such as ABBA and Queen.
There are two performances per night the early performance starts at around 8:30PM and the later one at around 10:30pm.

Theatre Royal in action.

On evenings when a theatre production is not a part of the evenings events there is a guest performer such as a comedian, musician or singer.
The theatre also is used as a venue for more educational purposes , its size and layout make it perfect for lectures which are held during the days at sea.
These include guest lecturers who speak on a number of different subjects ranging form history, spot and many others.
Also a variety of lectures from the ships crew are held during the cruise including a virtual bridge tour with one on the ships officers explaining in detail all of the ships navigational systems and bridge controls .
The History Of P&O is a newer lecture hosted by the Cruise Director which charts the company history from its foundation in 1837 to the modern day and includes footage of many of the company’s ships both past and present including of ORIANA’s maiden arrival in Southampton
Another popular use is the Cruise Director’s interview with the Captain where the Captain talks about life as ships master, training and various experiences they have had at sea and during their career.

Photos © P&O Cruises.