Theatre Royal, Hanley facts for kids

The Theatre Royal, Hanley was a famous theatre located in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It had a long and interesting history, changing its look and purpose many times over the years.

The Theatre's Early Days

First Building: A Chapel Becomes a Stage

The very first theatre opened its doors on November 25, 1852. It was called the Royal Pottery Theatre. This building wasn't built as a theatre. It used to be a Methodist chapel, a place for religious services. Later, it became a meeting hall for a group called the Chartists.

In 1857, the theatre became very popular. So, it was made much bigger to hold about 1,400 people.

Second Building: A Grand New Look

The first theatre building was taken down in 1870. A brand new one was built in its place! This new theatre was called the Theatre Royal and Opera House. It was designed by R. Twemlow and cost about £4,500. This grand new building could hold a huge crowd of 3,600 people.

You can still see part of this building's front today on Brunswick Street. It's now the entrance to a nightclub.

Third Building: More Changes and a Fire

In 1887, the theatre was rebuilt again! This time, famous theatre architects like Charles J. Phipps and Frank Matcham helped with the design. A new main performance area was added. The old theatre building was turned into the stage.

At first, people entered from Brunswick Street. But later, a new entrance was built on Pall Mall, which you can still see. In 1894, Frank Matcham made the theatre even bigger and added electric lights.

The theatre often showed plays, operas, and musical comedies. By the 1920s, it mainly featured variety shows, which included many different types of acts. The theatre was also famous for its annual pantomime, a fun musical play, which featured young local dancers called the 'Hanley Babes'.

Sadly, on June 2, 1949, a fire destroyed the stage and the main part of the theatre. This happened while a ballet company was performing there.

The Theatre's Later Years

Fourth Building: Rebuilding After the Fire

After the fire, work began in 1950 to build a new theatre from the ruins. It was designed by Edward Foresaw and George Greaves. This new theatre could hold 1,800 people on three different levels. The first show in the new building was on August 14, 1951. It was a famous musical called Annie Get Your Gun.

Changes and Challenges

As television became popular, fewer people went to the theatre. So, in 1961, the owners changed the theatre into a bingo hall. Local amateur drama groups could still use the stage sometimes. But in 1966, a casino opened on the stage, and the theatre stopped hosting plays.

A Comeback and Final Chapter

In 1981, the bingo hall closed. A local group bought the theatre and fixed it up a bit. It reopened in December 1982 with a pantomime called Babes in the Wood. The theatre did quite well in the 1980s, putting on shows like Cabaret and The Rocky Horror Show.

However, the theatre faced money problems and management changes. In 1996, a local businessman named Mike Lloyd bought the theatre. He completely refurbished it and renamed it 'The Royal'. But this effort also didn't last. In 2000, the building was sold and changed again. It was bought by Luminar Leisure and now houses two nightclubs.