Newcastle
Newcastle Theatre Royal
Last Updated:
8 Nov 2024
Newcastle
This is a
Theatre
54.972727, -1.612088
Founded in
Current status is
Extant
Designer (if known):
John & Benjamin Green
Listed Grade I
The Theatre Royal - a masterful double act next to the Lloyds Bank next door. This is another John & Benjamin Green project and arguably their most famous. Green was taught by Augustus Pugin, which only gives you an idea of his talents.
As many may know, this was not Newcastle's first "Theatre Royal". That was down at Mosley Street which we'll discuss in a few days. Any building that obstructed Grainger's plans were cleared in favour of the of the sandstone facades of Grey Street.
Predating the District Bank by 2 years, the Theatre Royal opened in 1837 with a capacity of 1900. At the time, it was seen only to be surpassed by the Theatre Royal at Covent Garden as the most beautiful venue in the whole empire - representing the "opulent and thriving port" that came to be in the earliest years of Victoria's reign. The erection only took 6 months, and during that time the interior was filled with gas chandeliers and bronze fittings. Drop scenes were painted by a Mr Montague Penley - an renowned artist even today filling the theatre with representations of the Temple of Jupier, gothic halls and domestic scenes.
The exterior is decorated with 6 Corinthian columns, though these weren't finished by the opening party thanks to a snow storm.
The opening night featured a performance of The Merchant of Venice, with the bells of the Cathedral ringing in unison to celebrate. Shakespeare was a pillar of its offering throughout the 19th century, with Richard III and Macbeth very regularly performed here.
In 1899 however it was the scene of a huge fire which you can see on the 4th pic. This was after a performance of Macbeth, but it was promptly rebuilt and reopened in 1901 to a redesign by Frank Matcham. His work includes the Hackney Empire, London Coliseum and the interior designs for the Blackpool Tower.
Listing Description (if available)
Though the mid 19th century Ordnance Survey map isn't of the highest resolution, it provides us a valuable insight into Newcastle a couple of decades into Victoria's reign. You will notice though that... little has changed! The frontages of Grainger Town has been immaculately preserved, though the innards are a different question. Like Lloyds, the buildings beyond the facades are often made of brick and aren't necessarily part of the listing, so I'm sure there's at least a couple of buildings along the way have had a renovation in their time.
The most notable change seen in these maps compared to today however is the top of Grey Street around Monument. Eldon Square consumed a huge amount of land around High Friars. Multiple pubs and the old YMCA building stood here until the 1970s. The Presbyterian church is still extant before the Emerson Chambers too.
By this stage, the tramways had expanded vastly along most of Newcastle's main avenues, passing the bank and the Theatre Royal via Market Street. You may notice too that the Central Arcade is first illustrated, as it was reconstructed in the mid 1900s to form a hotel and the arcade itself after a fire. Prior to this it was first a corn market and later an art gallery and concert hall.
This is also the first Ordnance Survey map after the fire which ravaged the theatre in the late 1890s. We see marginal change as it was fully rebuilt by 1901.
The Theatre Royal in September 2024 looking south east from Grey Street
A postcard in the Theatre Royal, undated but likely the 1890s or 1900s.
The portico of the Royal Turks Head & the Theatre Royal decorated for George VI's Coronation, 1937