A temporary theatre, opened to replace the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) two main venues in Stratford-upon-Avon while redevelopment work was carried out, could remain open for two more years.

The RSC has announced that it intends to apply for extended planning permission to delay the closure of The Courtyard Theatre until 2012 to help with the organisation's transition back to the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres, which are due to stage full performances in 2011. If approved, the Courtyard Theatre will continue to stage Shakespeare productions during the winter of 2010-11, as well as a range of preview events and activities, before The Other Place - a smaller, 200-seat studio venue - is reinstated by the RSC.

Liz Thompson, RSC's director of communications, said: "The temporary Courtyard Theatre has been a great success in keeping visitors coming to Stratford and has acted as a valuable test-bed for our new auditorium in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) during our transformation. "Our application to extend the temporary planning permission will be for around two years. This includes the time required to take the Courtyard Theatre down, and also takes us through the transition back into the RST and Swan Theatres, our 50th anniversary in 2011 and the World Shakespeare Festival."