Douglas Head Amphitheatre
Encyclopedia
Douglas Head
Douglas Head is a rocky point on the Isle of Man overlooking Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include Snaefell Mountain and Laxey-General:...
on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
At the turn of the 20th century the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
was a hugely popular holiday destination with the working class factory workers from the northerly part of England and Douglas Head
Douglas Head
Douglas Head is a rocky point on the Isle of Man overlooking Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include Snaefell Mountain and Laxey-General:...
had many attractions, most of which have long since disappeared. One such attraction was the amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
which remains in situ today after many years of neglect. On this stage there took place many shows including minstrels, pierrot
Pierrot
Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
s, etc., all of which were ideal forms of entertainment to the discerning holidaymaker to the island and the popularity of the shows can be seen from the large number of concrete steps still extant which formed the seating (although wooden slats were once added to this). Cine footage
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
exists of these entertainments but the popularity of the headland as a destination never really picked up after the war, with several of the other attractions being closed in 1939 and never re-opening, most notably the spectacular tramway
Douglas Southern Electric Tramway
Douglas Southern Electric Tramway was a standard gauge tramway which ran from the top of Douglas Head on the Isle of Man to the nearby resort of Port Soderick atop the cliffs via a number of spectacular viaducts and bridges.-Overview:...
which ran on the roadway alongside the stage. Although not used for a great number of years, the stage area is still periodically maintained and receives a coat of paint every so often. The last organised entertainment on the site took place in 1993 as part of the island's Year Of Railways
Year of Railways
The Year of Railways was a series of special events held on the Isle of Man during 1993 to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the first section of the Manx Electric Railway from Douglas to Groudle in September 1893....
in celebration of the centenary of the Manx Electric Railway
Manx Electric Railway
The Manx Electric Railway is an electric inter-urban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at...
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