The theatre was built in 1977 by
Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall (RMJM), who also built the adjacent
Civic Centre. The original design featured a
proscenium but no
fly tower. The balconies, which are separated by gaps around the auditorium, are similar to those at
Christchurch Town Hall in New Zealand. Similarly, the inclined panels around the room—to introduce
reflections—may have been inspired by that venue. The theatre's diameter is roughly .
Acoustics Originally, the Hexagon used an electronically assisted
reverberation system; The balcony seats have been described as having an inadequate level of early reflections and speech performance was judged to be poor. It has been concluded that rectifying the room's acoustics for the benefit of theatre and speech would be detrimental to other uses of the venue such as boxing. Events include classical music, comedy, dance, drama, pop and rock concerts. In past years the venue has also been used for
snooker. == References ==