On February 20, the Theatre Royal in Newcastle will turn 188 years old and – while it is currently preparing its new season brochure and focusing upon another exciting year ahead – we are taking a look back here at a key moment in its history when a huge project restored its interior to the original grand design.
And that design, dating from 1901 and created by famed architect Frank Matcham, was a stunner. Matcham, a specialist in theatres and music halls, was enlisted decades after the theatre opened in Grey Street in 1837 (just months before a young Queen Victoria took to the throne); replacing an original Theatre Royal in nearby Mosley Street. The theatre had been damaged by fire in 1899, which is believed to have broken out near the stage.
The blaze destroyed a large part of its interior and contents but thankfully the striking exterior – the work of father and son architects John and Benjamin Green – was fine. Matcham set about designing a new auditorium and this was installed by the end of 1901.
He had made it bigger, along with a larger stage, and also added new exits and a ‘salon’ area, saying of his ambition for his latest work: “It should be perfect in every detail, as a first-class theatre in an important city like Newcastle should be.”
But there were to be interior changes throughout its long history, during which the theatre hosted a range of stars, including late greats Laurence Olivier and Hollywood legend Charlton Heston as well as today’s favourites such as Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen who has referred to the city institution as his favourite theatre.
The Grade I-listed treasure underwent major work in the mid-eighties when it closed for 18 months, during which its then-annual RSC season switched shows to the city‘s Tyne Theatre. Then came that major restoration which transformed it and shaped it into the audience experience we enjoy today.
This saw the theatre close in March 2011 for the start of the painstaking work to return the interior to architect Matcham’s vision. Besides protecting traditional features, it recreated in remarkable detail the colours and patterns of its sumptuous Edwardian furnishings with wallpapers reprinted and luxury carpet installed which echoed the look of the period.
The six-month project preserved the original plasterwork of the auditorium ceiling and restored gold leaf on the proscenium arch, tiers and boxes. Lost tilework was replaced and period light fittings and brassware can be admired throughout. As for the auditorium’s plush red velvet seats, the theatre proudly describes them as “1901 in style but modern in comfort”.
Here are some images capturing some of that mammoth restoration task in progress and its beautiful end-result. For a close-up of some interior features and a look at areas of the Theatre Royal which are rarely seen by the public, read our account of a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour here.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/gallery/newcastle-theatre-royal-restoration-pictures-30893273
