York Theatre Royal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St. Leonard’s Place, York, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 863 people.
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[edit] History
The York Theatre Royal was built in 1744 on, and among, the site of a medieval hospital, known as St. Leonard’s Hospital [1]. Parts of the old hospital can still be seen in the modern building, including archways and walls. Under the stage lies a well, which is believed to be dated from the Roman era of York's history [2]. Twenty five years after its construction, in 1769, the theatre was granted a Royal Patent, and, accordingly, it was renamed the Theatre Royal. Since that time the theatre has undergone several renovations and upgrades [3]. In the late 1800's the theatre was refurbished into the Victorian style, including, in 1880, a new Victorian Gothic frontage, which is decorated with carved heads representing Elizabeth I and characters from Shakespeare’s plays. The latest major redevelopment was an extensive modernisation of the theatre in 1967.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. History of York Theatre Royal. Retrieved on October 1, 2006.
- ^ visityork.org. Theatre Royal in York factsheet. Retrieved on October 1, 2006.
- ^ yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. History of York Theatre Royal. Retrieved on October 1, 2006.
