| The Grand Theatre, Lancaster | |
|---|---|
| Address | St Leonardgate Lancaster LA1 1NL |
| City | Lancaster |
| Country | England |
| Designation | Grade II listed building |
| Owned by | Lancaster Footlights Registered charity no 509425 |
| Capacity | 457 |
| Opened | 1782 |
| Rebuilt | 1843, 1857, 1884, (interior) 1908 |
| Previous names | The Theatre, Lancaster (1782-1884) The Athenaeum (1884-1908) |
| Current use | Professional and amateur theatre |
| www.lancastergrand.co.uk/ | |
The Grand Theatre in Lancaster, England is one of the oldest theatres in England and the third oldest in Britain, having been in continuous use since 1782.
The theatre was opened in 1782, by Joseph Austin and Charles Edward Whitlock (whose sister-in-law, Sarah Siddons, played Lady Macbeth there in 1795).[1] It was known simply as "The Theatre, Lancaster". In 1884 the building was altered and renamed 'The Athenaeum' and it was under this name that the theatre was badly damaged by fire in 1908. With the interior rebuilt in the same year, it re-opened as "The Grand Theatre". Apart from this rebuilding period, the theatre has been in continuous use for 200 years.
The Grand Theatre seats 457 on two levels. It is owned by the Lancaster Footlights who started performing in the 1920s and brought the Grand Theatre in 1950 to save it from demolition.[2] The Grand Theatre plays host to amateur and professional shows. There are plans for a major building programme, "New spaces", to start in 2009: one extension will provide new reception, foyer and bar space and another will provide rehearsal space, workshop, costume department and scenery storage space.[3]