London may have many grand theatres but it doesn’t have a monopoly. Take the King’s Theatre in Southsea, Portsmouth. Grade II listed and designated as of national importance by the Theatre Trust, and a great example of Edwardian theatre architecture. Who designed it? Frank Matcham, the man who designed 150 theatres of which only 30 […]
A theatre is a building. A place. Who decided it had to have a stage with three tiers? Or seat thousands? Why does it have to be purpose built? In small communities, where money is tight, and people have little spare cash, reusing buildings is a common solution. With declining church membership, many old churches […]
Continuing the theme of Theatre through the ages… The intermission, or interval, is the mid-point of a theatrical performance when the sets might be changed, the actors have a breather, and the audience dash to the toilets. The point of the break is often at a crucial moment and we’re left in suspense wondering what […]
To have a theatre named after you must be the height of achievement for anyone associated with the theatre. So I’ve two to share for you. Harold Pinter – Nobel prize winner, producer, playwright and actor – had a career that lasted fifty years. Famed for plays such as Sleuth, The Go-Between and The French […]
Theatres in London took off after the English Reformation when the first public playhouse was opened by James Burbage in 1576. It was simply named The Theatre. The next to open was call… The Curtain. The Theatre was dismantled and moved south of the River Thames, rebuilt and called The Globe. The Globe was owned […]
In 1994 the Norwich city library and archive burnt down. A great lost to the community. The building was replaced not just with a library, but an amphitheatre. Now it’s not huge, like Greek or Roman ones, and it’s main function is for amateur dramatics and musical events. It doesn’t have beautiful backdrop and probably […]
Moving up into Scotland for today’s post on British Theatres through the ages. The Edinburgh Festival Theatre represents what is the longest continuous site of a theatre in Edinburgh. Previously on the site there was a mixed bunch of venues: Dunedin Hall, Royal Amphitheatre, Alhambra Music Hall, Queen’s Theatre, Pablo Fanque’s Amphitheatre, Newsome’s Circus and […]
Now we all know theatres are for plays and musicals, but not all theatres stick to one type of performance. In my first dip into London’s West End, the home of theatres, I’ve picked two, The Duke of York’s and the Dominion. The Duke of York was built in 1892 with four tiers (eventually reduced […]
Continuing my journey around the British Isles as I search out theatres, young and old. Piers are a feature of the British coastline, whether for commercial purposes or entertainment. There are famous ones at Blackpool and Brighton. Please spare a thought though for the performers of Cromer Pavilion Theatre. They can’t drive up to the […]
In the City of London there is an estate, liked and loathed (voted in 2003 London’s ugliest building), and home to residential housing, a museum, schools, concert hall and a theatre. The area it occupies was devastated by WW2 bombings. Known as the Barbican complex, it is an example of Brutalism – or Brutal Architecture. […]
The Quiet Writer 