Theatre Royal, Brighton
Panoramic view of the theatre from stage | |
Address | New Road Brighton England |
---|---|
Owner | Ambassador Theatre Group |
Designation | Grade II listed |
Type | Proscenium |
Capacity | 952 (four levels) |
Construction | |
Opened | 1807 |
Rebuilt | 1854 |
Years active | 205 |
Website | |
Official Box Office |
The Theatre Royal, Brighton is a theatre in Brighton, England presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet.
History
In 1806, the Prince of Wales (later George IV) gave Royal Assent for the theatre to be built and it opened on 27 June 1807, with a performance of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The theatre struggled until it was purchased in 1854 by actor Henry John Nye Chart, who engaged theatre architect Charles J. Phipps to begin a programme of expansion and redevelopment.
The theatre improved its reputation and finances, becoming a respected venue. When Henry John Nye Chart died in 1876 his wife, Ellen Elizabeth Nye Chart, took over and continued the success as one of the first female theatre managers. There is a statue to honour her in the Royal Circle bar.
The venue used to have a "gulp bar", a backstage bar where actors could get a drink, even mid-performance.
In 1920, the financial buoyancy of the Theatre enabled the directors to buy adjacent properties and make substantial improvements to the building. In 1923 the Theatre purchased the Colonnade Hotel, now the Colonnade bar and in 1927, the last major structural enlargement was made to the auditorium.[1] In 1928, Walter C. Hackett's Other Men's Wives premiered at the theatre before transferring to the West End. Later premieres included The Ninth Man (1931), Frieda (1946), Young Wives' Tale (1949), Escapade (1952) and Not in the Book (1958).
In the mid and later 20th Century the Royal's stature and national reputation continued to grow. Ibsen, Rattigan, Coward and Orton plays opened as a try out date before a London West End run. The Redgrave Family, Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Charlton Heston, Marlene Dietrich, Margot Fonteyn, Rex Harrison, Judi Dench and Paul Scofield all performed there.[2]
In 1984, London impresario David Land, bought the theatre and subsidised productions at the theatre out of his own pocket up to £400,000 a year.[3] Land and later his son, Brook, ran the theatre for a decade and a half revitalising the Royal with popular acts.[4]
In 1986, the theatre was featured in the Rainbow episode Visit to the Theatre when Geoffrey Hayes, Zippy and George went to see Peter Pan (1904).
In 1999, the Theatre Royal was bought by the Ambassador Theatre Group and a full-scale modernisation commenced.
In 2007, the theatre celebrated its 200th anniversary with a visit from the Queen. The venue offers backstage tours, where the public can go behind the scenes at this grade II listed building.
In recent years, catering to a wider demographic, the Theatre Royal Brighton has chosen to offer an alternative to a Christmas pantomime, which it historically performed, replacing such shows with hits such as Spamalot (2011), The Rocky Horror Show (2012), and Priscilla Queen of the Desert (2013). It also regularly hosts performances during the city's annual Brighton Festival.
References
External links
- History of Brighton's Theatres Including the Theatre Royal
- Theatre Royal Brighton
- v
- t
- e
- Conservation areas
- Listed buildings: Grade I
- Grade II*
- Grade II: A–B
- C–D
- E–H
- I–L
- M
- N–O
- P–R
- S
- T–V
- W–Z
- List of places of worship (see list for links to individual articles)
- List of demolished places of worship
and mansions
- Adelaide Mansions
- Chartwell Court
- Courtenay Gate
- Embassy Court
- Fife House
- French Convalescent Home
- Grand Ocean, Saltdean
- Gwydyr Mansions
- 75 Holland Road
- Marine Gate
- Marlborough House
- Moulsecoomb Place
- New England Quarter
- Ovingdean Grange
- Ovingdean Rectory
- Patcham Place
- Pelham Institute
- Percy and Wagner Almshouses
- Portslade Manor (ruined)
- Preston Manor
- Regency Town House
- Southdown House
- Stanmer House
- Sussex Heights
- Tower House
- Van Alen Building
- Western Pavilion
squares and
terraces
- Adelaide Crescent
- Arundel Terrace
- Bedford Square
- Belgrave Place
- Bloomsbury Place
- Brunswick Town
- Eastern Terrace
- Hanover Crescent
- Kemp Town
- Lansdowne Square
- Marine Square
- Montpelier Crescent
- New Steine
- Norfolk Square
- Norfolk Terrace
- Old Steine
- Oriental Place
- Palmeira Square
- Park Crescent
- Pelham Square
- Powis Square
- Regency Square
- Roundhill Crescent
- Royal Crescent
- Russell Square
- Vernon Terrace
- Wykeham Terrace
buildings
civic buildings
- BHASVIC
- Brighton General Hospital
- Brighton Law Courts
- Brighton Town Hall
- Hove Library
- Hove Town Hall
- Hove Trial Centre
- Jubilee Library
- Kings House
- Ovingdean Hall School
- Police Convalescent Seaside Home (former)
- Preston Barracks
- Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital
- Royal Sussex County Hospital
- The Keep
- The Montefiore Hospital
- University of Brighton
- University of Sussex
- Varndean College
- Schools: List of former board schools
- Blatchington Mill School
- Brighton Aldridge Community Academy
- Brighton and Hove High School
- Brighton College
- Brighton College Preparatory School
- Cardinal Newman RC School
- Deepdene School
- Dorothy Stringer School
- Hove Park School
- King's School
- Longhill High School
- Ovingdean Hall School
- Patcham High School
- Portslade Aldridge Community Academy
- Roedean School
- St Aubyns School
- Varndean School
- Hotels: Bedford
- Clarence
- Grand (1984 bombing)
- Metropole
- Norfolk
- Old Ship
- Royal Albion
- Royal York
- Inns and pubs: The Cricketers
- Freemasons Tavern
- Hangleton Manor Inn
- King and Queen
- Prince Albert
- Royal Pavilion Tavern
and leisure
- The Arch
- Astoria (demolished)
- Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts
- Blind Tiger Club (former)
- Brighton Centre
- Brighton Dome and Studio (Pavilion) Theatre
- Brighton Hippodrome (former)
- Brighton Marina
- Brighton Wheel
- Duke of York's Picture House
- Falmer Stadium
- Komedia
- King Alfred Centre
- Marlborough Pub and Theatre
- Medina House (demolished)
- Old Market
- Open Air Theatre
- Pryzm
- Revenge
- Regent Cinema (demolished)
- Royal Pavilion
- Saltdean Lido
- Theatre Royal
- Withdean Stadium
- Museums: Booth Museum
- Brighton Fishing Museum
- Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
- Brighton Toy and Model Museum
- British Engineerium
- Hove Museum and Art Gallery
- Brighton Palace Pier
- Royal Suspension Chain Pier (demolished)
- West Pier
- Anthaeum (demolished)
- Barford Court
- Chattri
- Church Street Drill Hall (former)
- Clock Tower
- 11 Dyke Road
- Foredown Tower
- Hove War Memorial
- i360
- Madeira Terrace
- North Gate of the Royal Pavilion
- Patcham Pylons
- Peace Statue
- Pepper Pot
- Ralli Hall
- St Dunstan's
- Sassoon Mausoleum
- Statue of Queen Victoria, Hove
- Steine House (YMCA)
- Waste House
- Whitehawk Hill transmitting station
- Charles Busby
- Clayton & Black
- John Leopold Denman
- Thomas Lainson
- John Nash
- Gilbert Murray Simpson
- Thomas Simpson
- Basil Spence
- Amon Henry Wilds
- Amon Wilds
50°49′24″N 0°08′22″W / 50.82333°N 0.13944°W / 50.82333; -0.13944