Grand Theatre, Lancaster facts for kids
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The Theatre, Theatre Royal, Music Hall, Athenaeum, Athenaeum Theatre
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 The Grand Theatre, Lancaster
Location in Lancaster city centre
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| Address | St Leonardgate Lancaster LA1 1NL Lancaster England |
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| Coordinates | 54°03′01″N 2°47′48″W / 54.0502°N 2.7967°W |
| Owner | Lancaster Footlights Registered charity no 509425 |
| Capacity | 457 |
| Current use | Professional and amateur theatre |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1782 |
| Rebuilt | 1848, 1857, 1884, (interior) 1908, 1978 |
| Website | |
| www.LancasterGrand.co.uk | |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Grand Theatre | |
| Designated: | 9 July 1974 |
| Reference #: | 1195050 |
The Grand Theatre in Lancaster, England, is a really old theatre. It's one of the oldest in England and the third oldest in all of Britain! People have been using it almost continuously since 1782. Even though it's been changed and added to many times, a lot of the original stone building is still there. This historic building is officially protected as a Grade II listed building.
Contents
The Grand Theatre: A Historic Stage
Before the Grand Theatre was built, plays were put on in barns and inns around Lancaster. This started as early as the 1760s. For example, in the summer of 1777, a play called The Orphan of China was performed in one of these temporary spaces.
How It All Began
The theatre building itself was finished in 1781. This made it one of the very first permanent theatres in Britain. It officially opened in June 1782. Two people, Joseph Austin (an actor) and Charles Edward Whitlock (a dentist), were in charge. They managed several theatres across the north of England. Back then, it was simply known as "The Theatre, Lancaster."
Famous Faces and Changes
In its first summer, famous plays like Hamlet and The Belle's Stratagem were performed. They got great reviews! Later, in 1795, the play Macbeth was performed. The famous actress Sarah Siddons, who was Whitlock's sister-in-law, played Lady Macbeth.
Many other well-known performers also appeared here. These included Edmund Kean, Joseph Grimaldi, and Ira Aldridge. Ira Aldridge was important because he was the first black actor to perform in the UK. In September 1833, the famous Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini even played at the theatre.
By the late 1830s, the theatre was used less for plays. Instead, it became a place for meetings of the Temperance society and for formal talks.
A New Look and Name
In 1843, a person named Edmund Sharpe bought the theatre. He made it bigger and changed it. In 1849, it reopened as a music hall. It also had a museum for the local Literary and Natural History Society. By 1860, a private company called the Lancaster Athenaeum owned and ran it. Charles Dickens, a very famous writer, visited and appeared there twice in the 1860s.
The theatre closed in 1882. But in May 1884, it got a new owner, Henry Wilkinson. He had the building changed again, and it reopened as the Athenaeum Theatre. In 1897, the theatre was changed once more. An architect named Frank Matcham added a new stage.
Sadly, the work by Matcham was lost when a big fire badly damaged the building in 1908. But the theatre was quickly rebuilt inside that same year! A new design by architect Albert Winstanley was used. After this, it reopened with its current name: The Grand Theatre.
The Grand Today
Today, The Grand Theatre has 457 seats on two levels. It is owned by a group called the Lancaster Footlights. This group started performing in the 1920s. They bought the Grand Theatre in 1951 to save it from being torn down.
What You Can See There
The Grand Theatre hosts both amateur and professional shows. This means you can see performances by local groups and also by professional actors and musicians. There are even plans to build a major extension on the east side of the building. This "New Foyer" will give the theatre new reception, lobby, and bar areas, plus space for rehearsals and a studio theatre. You can also take tours of the theatre every month!
See also
- Listed buildings in Lancaster, Lancashire
