Theatre Royal, Birmingham

The Theatre Royal in 1780

The Theatre Royal, originally the New Theatre, was a 2000 seat theatre located on New Street in Birmingham, England. It was erected in 1774 and demolished in 1956.[1]

The theatre was damaged by fire in 1792 and again in 1820, after which it was rebuilt.[1] In 1897, W. S. Gilbert's The Fortune Hunter premiered at the theatre.[2] The theatre was rebuilt again in 1902, designed by Ernest Runtz, reopening in 1904 with 2200 seats.[1] This building lasted until 1956 when it was closed and demolished. The Woolworth Building was then constructed on the site, seen today as the location of a branch of Boots and Bella Italia.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Price 1988, p. 2
  2. ↑ Ainger, p. 369

Bibliography and further reading

  • Ainger, Michael (2002). Gilbert and Sullivan–A Dual Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514769-3.
  • Price, Victor J. (1988), Birmingham Theatres, Concert and Music Halls, Studley: Brewin Books, ISBN 0-947731-35-0
  • Rhodes, Raymond Crompton (1924), The Theatre Royal, Birmingham, 1774-1924: a short history, Birmingham: Moody Brothers, OCLC 10940797

Coordinates: 52°28′45″N 1°54′01″W / 52.47915°N 1.9003°W