Theatre Royal, Newcastle

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Facade of the Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by Richard Grainger, and opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant of Venice.

Following a performance of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, a huge fire destroyed the interior of the building in 1899. It had its interior redesigned by Frank Matcham and reopened on 31 December 1901. The theatre's restaurant is named after Matcham. Externally, the building is exactly as it was when it was first built.

It underwent a major refurbishment and restoration in the latter part of the 1980s, reopening on 11 January 1988 with a performance of A Man For All Seasons starring Charlton Heston.

The theatre hosts a variety of shows, including ballet, contemporary dance, drama, musicals and opera. The Royal Shakespeare Company visits annually, and considers the Theatre Royal its northern base. The Christmas pantomime is also very popular.

Almost all of the shows that come to the Theatre Royal are part of a national British tour, and in a typical year the theatre will have 30 to 35 visiting shows. For the annual pantomime, and any visiting musicals and opera performances, there is a sizeable orchestral pit available. This can seat 60 musicians if necessary. The stage itself is also of substantial size, and can house 50 singers, dancers, actors and musicians.

Over 100 people staff the theatre, most of whom work behind the scenes. The theatre is reputedly also home to a resident ghost (supposedly a very friendly lady from the 19th century nicknamed 'The Grey Lady'). (She apparently committed suicide in the main theatre hall by jumping off the gods' circle) But details of this are hard to come by, and she certainly hasn't been seen recently. Theatre literature and leaflets do, however, mention her.

[edit] The Original Theatre Royal

Newcastle's original Theatre Royal opened on 21 January 1788. Its location on Mosley Street, however, obstructed the plans for the redevelopment of the city centre (as it was on the route of Grey Street). The original theatre's final performance was on 25 June 1836.