Grand Theatre Leeds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House | |
| [[Image:2003627_300252259.jpg|215px]] | |
| Address |
46 New Briggate
Leeds, LS1 6NZ |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Country | England |
| Designation | listed building Grade II* |
| Architect | George Corson |
| Owned by | Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House Ltd Registered charity 500408 |
| Capacity | 1550 |
| Type | Visiting productions Home of Opera North |
| Opened | 1878 |
| www.leedsgrandtheatre.com | |
The Grand Theatre (also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House) is a theatre and Opera house in the centre of Leeds, UK. It was designed by James Robinson Watson, chief assistant in the office of Leeds-based architect George Corson, and opened on 18 November, 1878. The exterior is in a mixture of Romanesque and Scottish baronial styles, while the interior has such Gothic motifs as fan-vaulting and clustered columns. The theatre is a Grade II* listed building. It seats approximately 1,500 people.
The theatre is home to Opera North and is regularly visited by Northern Ballet Theatre. It has hosted many touring productions, musical artists and comedians.
The theatre closed at the end of May 2005 for a major refurbishment, entitled transformation, and re-opened on 7 October 2006 with a production of Verdi's Rigoletto. The Stalls area has been completely re-seated and re-raked, the orchestra-pit has been enlarged, air-conditioning has been installed, backstage technical facilities have been dramatically improved, and Opera North now has its own Opera Centre to the south of the theatre, accessible via a bridge and at street-level. The Centre includes two new stage-sized rehearsal spaces and increased office space. The cost of the refurbishment has been estimated at £31.5m.
A second phase of transformation, now in progress, includes structural improvements and further refurbishment of the theatre, and also the restoration of the Assembly Rooms, a forgotten area on the first floor of the building. The Assembly Rooms opened in 1879 and functioned as the Plaza Cinema between 1912 and 1978 and subsequently as a rehearsal room for Opera North. When restoration is complete, the theatre will have a second performance space, to be used for recitals, experimental and educational work, and other events for which the main theatre is unsuitable.
[edit] Bibliography
- Linstrum, Derek (1978). West Yorkshire Architects and Architecture. Lund Humphries Publishers. ISBN 0-85331-410-1.
- Lennon, Patricia; David Joy (2006). Grand Memories: The Life and Times of the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. Ilkley: Great Northern Books. ISBN 1905080204.
