Burrell Foley Fischer were the Almeida’s architects from 1982, shortly after its inception as a theatre in 1980, working with successive generations of directors. The theatre has been developed into a venue of exceptional quality for the drama, opera and music, and other arts activities. 

Despite its modest size, the space works equally well for performances on an epic scale as for intimate productions. The audience occupies the same space as the performers and neither is further than twelve metres from the other.

Development works have included extending the backstage accommodation, building a completely new foyer, bar and technical areas, providing new service installations and seating, and improving disabled access and acoustics. The new foyer continues the theme of the former open-air yard where, because of limited site access, the single entrance is used as the foyer for the theatregoers and as the space for the technical get-ins. 

The extensive overhaul of the auditorium, seating capacity 321, has preserved the special ‘found’ quality of the Theatre.