" To make savings on arts buildings ... you have to save ten times the area in the rear of the house to save a single square foot in the front end "

The wide-ranging topics of the title belie the depth in which most are covered. Of general interest are the question of what and how show technology should be properly integrated into a venue and the future of live performance itself, which covers both buildings and their engineering. Theatre engineers will wish to know how to take steps to minimise intrusive noise from mechanical and lighting equipment and from external sources, while their building services colleagues will react to the papers on energy efficiency and comfort which provide data on many low-energy approaches. Both risk and project management are covered, the first looked at in terms of the legal position of members of a design team, while the second uses the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the National Theatre and the Royal Albert Hall as examples. Fire safety is considered historically and in terms of the benefits of modern fire engineering, while the question of access for disabled people is explained by a leading expert and an experienced theatre consultant. A review of the staffing of major venues and of receiving houses identifies the need for training for theatre crew. A major examination of the reasons why theatres and similar buildings always seem to cost more than expected, both in construction and maintenance, is provided by leading UK and US cost consultants and by the Facilities and Development Manager at the Sydney Opera House.