A Full History of the Theatre Royal

Sunderland is home to umpteen lost theatres, especially in the northern quarter where huge swathes of the city have been cleared for road development and commercial complexes. Bedford Street was home to one such - the Theatre Royal. Perhaps better known as the Blue Monkey...

It was opened all the way back in December 1855, right in the centre of the blue collar terraces. It was opened by Robert Roxby, an actor turned stage manager who owned a swathe of buildings across the country including the Theatre Royal in Manchester and a host along the Durham circuit. They passed into the hands of his brother William Roxby Beverley in 1866 after his death - a very famous scene painter of his time.

It was designed by G A Middlemiss - a local man whose work can be recognised across the North East. The Simpson Street School, the Hutchinson's Buildings at Mackie's Corner and Ashbrooke Tower where he lived.

From 1906 the venue started hosting screenings and variety shows, but was never particularly a money spinner. It closed in 1933 due to the Great Depression, and in turn hosted boxing bouts. I *think* at this stage it was named the Sunderland Royal Stadium, hosting national fighters with local undercards.

It was then turned back into a cinema named Black's Theatre Royal from 1940, owned by Alfred Black. He also built the Odeon at Byker but born here, making his wealth in London producing shows on the West End. It was his family who invested heavily in Tyne Tees Television from the outset, allowing it to punch its weight in the years it was active. It was fully remodelled by Edwin M Lawson, a Chester le Street born man who designed plenty of housing schemes, workmens clubs and Co-Operatives around Durham.

The Rank's took it on in 1959 until 1964, and from there became the Top Rank Bingo Club. I imagine many of you will actually know it as the Blue Monkey nightclub though, the origin of makina and inspiration for nearly every meme about the North East. It closed in 1994 due to arson, and eventually was demolished to make way for a petrol station. Aptly, it's now a massive cinema again, though you can still hear makina when you're on the X1 to Washington