Grand Theatre, Lancaster facts for kids
|
The Theatre, Theatre Royal, Music Hall, Athenaeum, Athenaeum Theatre
|
|
 |
|
 The Grand Theatre, Lancaster
Location in Lancaster city centre
|
|
| Address | St Leonardgate Lancaster LA1 1NL Lancaster England |
|---|---|
| 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 | |
|
Listed Building – Grade II
|
|
| Official name: Grand Theatre | |
| Designated: | 9 July 1974 |
| Reference #: | 1195050 |
The Grand Theatre in Lancaster, England, is a very old theatre. It is one of the oldest in England and the third oldest in Britain. People have used it almost constantly since 1782. Even though it has been changed and added to many times, much of the original stone is still there. The theatre is a special building called a Grade II listed building. This means it is important and protected.
Contents
The Theatre's Early History
Before the Grand Theatre was built, plays were shown in barns and inns in Lancaster. This happened as early as the 1760s. For example, in the summer of 1777, a play called The Orphan of China was performed. It was written by Arthur Murphy. These were temporary places for shows.
Building and Opening the Theatre
The theatre was built in 1781. It became one of the first permanent theatres in Britain. The theatre opened in June 1782. It was opened by Joseph Austin, an actor, and Charles Edward Whitlock, a dentist. They managed many theatres across the north of England. At first, it was simply called "The Theatre, Lancaster".
Famous Performers and Changes
In its first summer, plays like Hamlet and The Belle's Stratagem were performed. They received good reviews. In 1795, the play Macbeth was performed. Sarah Siddons, who was Whitlock's sister-in-law, played Lady Macbeth. Other famous performers included Edmund Kean and Joseph Grimaldi. Ira Aldridge, the first black actor to perform in the UK, also appeared here. In September 1833, the Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini played at the theatre.
By the late 1830s, the theatre was used less for plays. It was more often used for meetings of the Temperance society. It also hosted formal lectures. In 1843, Edmund Sharpe bought the theatre. He added to it and changed it. In 1849, he reopened it as a music hall. It also served as a museum for the local Literary and Natural History Society. By 1860, a private company called the Lancaster Athenaeum owned it. Sharpe had started this company. Charles Dickens, a famous writer, visited twice in the 1860s.
Rebuilding and New Beginnings
The theatre closed in 1882. In May 1884, Henry Wilkinson became the new owner. He had the building changed again. It reopened as the Athenaeum Theatre. In 1897, the theatre was changed once more. Architect Frank Matcham designed a new stage.
Matcham's work was lost when a fire badly damaged the building in 1908. The inside was rebuilt in the same year. Albert Winstanley was the architect for the new design. It then reopened as The Grand Theatre. Today, you can take tours of the theatre every month.
The Grand Theatre Today
The Grand Theatre has 457 seats on two levels. The Lancaster Footlights own the theatre. This group started performing in the 1920s. They bought the Grand Theatre in 1951 to save it from being torn down. The Grand Theatre hosts both amateur and professional shows. There are plans to add a major extension on the east side. This "New Foyer" will have a new reception, a foyer, a bar, and space for rehearsals and a studio theatre.
See also
- Listed buildings in Lancaster, Lancashire
