Theatre Royal, Wakefield

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The Theatre Royal Wakefield is a theatre in Wakefield, England, which dates back to 1894.^[1] The theatre was originally known as the Theatre Royal and Opera House.^[1]

Wakefield Theatre originates back to the 1770's and was originally controlled by Tate Wilkinson, the actor manager who ran the York theatre circuit for 37 years.

However, it was in 1894 that the Wakefield Opera House that we know and see today was designed by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham for a price of £13,000 and was built for local man Benjamin Sherwood.

It is fair to say that the theatre has had it's ups and downs... In the 1920's the theatre had to compete against cinemas and in the summer live shows were replaced by films. In 1954 the theatre closed and became a picture house and a few years later was renovated again into a bingo hall. However, in 1981 it reopened as the Wakefield Theatre Royal under the chairman Sir Rodney Walker. This was due to support for revitalising the theatre from amateur and professional bodies associated with music and drama and also from city figureheads.

The theatre is now run by Murray Edwards and is in the middle of asking for permission and raising money to add a new era to the theatre via a studio space and a cafe.