Theatre Royal, Glasgow

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Theatre Royal
Address 282 Hope Street
City Glasgow
Country Scotland
Architect William Clarke and George Bell
Charles J. Phipps
Owned by James Baylis (1867-1870)
Baylis Trust (1870-1877)
Margaret Anderson family (1877-1888)
James Howard and Fred Wyndham (1888-1895)
Howard & Wyndham Ltd (1895-1957)
Scottish Television (1957-1974)
Scottish Opera (1974-Present)
Capacity 1541
Type Proscenium
Opened 1867
Rebuilt 1879
1895
Other names Royal Colosseum Theatre and Opera House

The Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in Glasgow, located at 282 Hope Street in Cowcaddens. The theatre originally opened in 1867, changing its name to the Theatre Royal in 1869, and is the longest running theatre in Scotland. It is the birthplace of Howard & Wyndham Ltd, owners and managers of theatres in Scotland and England until the 1970s, created by its chairman Baillie Michael Simons in 1895, who also promoted the building of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Glasgow's International Exhibitions of 1888 (the International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry) and 1901.

History

The theatre was opened in 1867 as the Royal Colosseum & Opera House by James Baylis who also ran the Milton Colosseum Music Hall at Cowcaddens Cross, and had opened the Scotia Music Hall, later known as the Metropole, in Stockwell Street in 1862. The Royal, and its shops and adjoining Alexandra Music Hall were designed by George Bell, of Clarke & Bell, who became the founding President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects. Baylis presented pantomimes, plays, comedies, harlequinades and opera. In 1869 he leased the theatre to Glover & Francis who previously ran the old Theatre Royal in Dunlop Street, which had been demolished to make way for St Enoch railway station. William Glover brought the name Theatre Royal with him and its company of artistes, orchestra and stage staff.

In 1879 the auditorium was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt to the classical French Renaissance design seen today of the renowned theatre architect Charles J. Phipps, creating three galleries instead of two and making the front door face Hope Street instead of Cowcaddens Road. It continued to accommodate about 3,000 people. It is now the largest surviving example of Charles Phipp's theatre work in Britain.

In the early 1880s a number of managers ran it until Baillie Michael Simons arranged it to be made available to two actor managers, Howard & Wyndham, in 1888. They announced that in addition to plays, opera, and summer shows it would be known above all as a pantomime house, their first being The Forty Thieves. The new company went on to produce pantomimes for almost 80 years across Britain.

In 1895 the company became Howard & Wyndham Ltd, quoted on Stock Exchanges, and growing to become the largest group of quality theatres in Scotland and England, with the Royal as its flagship. In the same year a fire destroyed the auditorium again, but was rebuilt six months later under the attention of Charles Phipps with few visible changes. Howard & Wyndham Ltd soon added to their stock of theatres by building the Frank Matcham designed King’s Theatre across the city centre in 1904.[1]

In 1957, the theatre was sold to Scottish Television in a joint venture with Howard & Wyndham Ltd (who moved their own shows to their new flagship the Alhambra Theatre in Waterloo Street) for conversion of the Royal into a Scottish Television Theatre, studios and offices, becoming the main home for the commercial ITV network in central Scotland.[2] Live performances in music, dance and comedy were transnmitted across Scotland and networked to ITV areas south of the border. STV also transmitted concerts and operas from other venues and became the first and largest sponsors of Scottish Opera started by Sir Alexander Gibson in 1962

In 1974, Scottish Television moved to custom-built premises next door and offered the Theatre Royal to Scottish Opera who bought it with public support, converting it to become its home theatre and Scotland's first national opera house. A major rebuild and refurbishment ensued, involving the creation of an enlarged foyer, new main staircase, orchestra pit enlarged to accommodate 100 players, extended backstage areas and modernised dressing rooms. The auditorium was restored to its full glory and plasterwork once more in its original cream and gold and colour highlights, with the ornate ceiling picked out in its original colours of gold, cream and pale blue. William Morris wallpaper was added to the principal walls. It re-opened in October 1975 with Die Fledermaus.

A few months later it also became the home theatre of Scottish Ballet started in 1969, and became the main home of the Scottish Theatre Company during its existence in the 1980s. It became a principal venue of the city's Mayfest Festival each year, and continues to attract visiting companies. Since 1977 it has been protected as a category A listed building of architectural and historic importance.[3] It is the largest example of Charles Phipps' architecture in Britain.

In 1997 a lottery-funded refurbishment allowed for extensive rewiring and redecoration. Cherry red walls, turquoise seating, and red and turquoise carpeting replaced the 1975 scheme. In 2005 Scottish Opera leased its theatre management to the Ambassador Theatre Group, and it continues to be the home of Scottish Opera, and of Scottish Ballet.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Smith, Graeme 2008, The Theatre Royal: Entertaining a Nation, Glasgow Publications, 2008 ISBN 978-0-9559420-0-6
  2. ↑ Smith, Graeme 2011, Alhambra Glasgow Glasgow Publication, 2011 ISBN 9780955942013
  3. ↑ "Theatre Royal: Listed Building Report". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 8 December 2013. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Theatre Royal, Glasgow.
Scottish Theatres
Former Scottish Theatres
London West End Theatres
UK Regional Theatres
Broadway Theatre

Coordinates: 55°51′58″N 4°15′22″W / 55.8662°N 4.2562°W / 55.8662; -4.2562

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