Theatre Royal, Plymouth
UK | |
Type | Producing and Receiving House |
---|---|
Capacity | 1,320 |
Construction | |
Opened | 1982 |
Architect | Peter Moro |
Website | |
http://www.theatreroyal.com |
Address | Cattedown UK |
---|---|
Type | Production and Learning Centre |
Construction | |
Opened | 2002 |
Architect | Ian Ritchie |
Theatre Royal, Plymouth, is a theatre venue in
The theatre is a National Portfolio Organisation, receiving regular funding from Arts Council England.[1]
A £7 million Regeneration Project was completed in September 2013 with a renovated front of house area and community performance space called The Lab.
A 7-metre-high (23 ft) bronze sculpture depicting a crouching female actor called
History
In 1758 a theatre was built at the top of George Street in Plymouth. Originally known as the Theatre, Frankfort-Gate,[3] it adopted the name Theatre Royal after King George III and his family visited it in 1789.[4]
In 1810 Plymouth Corporation held a competition for the design of a new theatre, hotel and assembly rooms at the bottom of George Street. The competition was won by John Foulston, who built a neo-classical block of buildings between 1811 and 1813. The new Theatre Royal opened in 1813 and could seat 1,192.[4] Foulston's buildings formed a frontage of 268 feet (82 m) facing George's Place that was dominated by a portico with 30-foot (9.1 m)-high ionic columns. The theatre was on the west side of this portico, with the hotel and assembly rooms on the east. Foulston used thick walls to separate the auditorium from the foyer, corridors and the hotel next door to minimise the risk of fire damage. The whole inner structure was built of cast iron for the same purpose, and Foulston believed it was the only fireproof theatre in the country.[5] Despite these precautions, the theatre suffered a disastrous interior fire in June 1878; by January 1879 it had been repaired and reopened.[6]
The decline in theatre-going caused by the rise in
On a different site, the current Theatre Royal was designed in 1977 by the
The Lyric (the main auditorium)
The Lyric seats 1,315 but has a unique ability to compress the auditorium, creating a more intimate performance space of 787.[
In 2019, The SpongeBob Musical was filmed for television in front of a live audience at the Theatre Royal Plymouth.
The Lyric also produces its own drama and musical productions each year, usually with commercial or subsidised partners.
The Drum
The Drum (capacity – 200) specialises in the production of new plays and has a good reputation for its innovative programme. It won the Peter Brook Empty Space Award in 2007. It often collaborates with other subsidised companies and venues such as the Royal Court, ATC, the Lyric Hammersmith, the Bush Theatre, Frantic Assembly, Hampstead Theatre, Paines Plough, the Traverse Theatre and the Tron Glasgow.[13]
The Production and Learning Centre, TR2
The Production and Learning Centre, TR2, is on the bank of the River Plym, and was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects. It contains set, costume, prop-making and rehearsal facilities. TR2 provides one of the biggest education and outreach programmes for a regional venue in the UK.[13]
References
- ^ "The Theatre Royal Plymouth secures National Portfolio funding for 2015-18 - Theatre Royal Plymouth". Theatre Royal Plymouth. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ Steven Morris (26 November 2018). "Giant bronze statue for Devon takes shape in tiny Welsh village". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ Whitfeld, Henry Francis (1900). Plymouth and Devonport: In Times of War and Peace. Plymouth: E. Chapple. p. 306 (illustration facing).
- ^ ISBN 0-86114-882-7.
- ISBN 0-86023-153-4.
- ^ a b Lloyd, Matthew. "Theatres and Halls in Plymouth". arthurlloyd.co.uk – The Music Hall and Theatre History Site. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
- ISBN 0-9510747-0-9.
- ISBN 0-9510747-0-9.
- ^ "Reel Cinema in Plymouth, GB - Cinema Treasures".
- ^ ISBN 0-14-071050-7.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Moseley, Brian (25 March 2006). "Plymouth, Theatre Royal". The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "Urban Trawl: Plymouth". Building Design. 24 June 2011. p. 18. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Theatre Royal and Drum Theatre Plymouth : About us". Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2010.