Everyman Palace Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Everyman Palace Theatre is a 650-seat Victorian
theatre
on MacCurtain Street in Cork
, Ireland
. Originally opened in 1897/98, it is the oldest purpose built theatre building in Cork. The Everyman has undergone many changes, through its days as "Dan Lowrey’s Palace of Varieties" (hosting Laurel and Hardy
and Charlie Chaplin
), life as a cinema, periods of disrepair, and reinvigoration as a modern theatre in the 1980s.
The theatre is housed in a listed (protected) Victorian building with a large stage and auditorium, with proscenium arch, four elaborately decorated boxes, a studio space and bar (which hosts live music).
The Everyman's programme is an eclectic mix of plays, operas, musicals and concerts, but it specialises in drama and usually stages three in-house productions per year. In the summer months, it hosts productions by Irish playwrights. Other major recurring events include the Guinness Jazz Festival
in October (for which the theatre is a primary venue), and the Christmas pantomime
. A unique feature of the Everyman Palace is that its front of house
ushering staff is composed entirely of volunteers.
Up until 2007, The Everyman hosted the Irish regional festival of the National Theatre's New Connections program every May. It gained a reputation for supporting and enabling providing a platform for youth theatres such as Activate, Kildare Youth Theatre and Independent Youth Theatre
.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
theatre
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
on MacCurtain Street in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Originally opened in 1897/98, it is the oldest purpose built theatre building in Cork. The Everyman has undergone many changes, through its days as "Dan Lowrey’s Palace of Varieties" (hosting Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
and Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
), life as a cinema, periods of disrepair, and reinvigoration as a modern theatre in the 1980s.
The theatre is housed in a listed (protected) Victorian building with a large stage and auditorium, with proscenium arch, four elaborately decorated boxes, a studio space and bar (which hosts live music).
The Everyman's programme is an eclectic mix of plays, operas, musicals and concerts, but it specialises in drama and usually stages three in-house productions per year. In the summer months, it hosts productions by Irish playwrights. Other major recurring events include the Guinness Jazz Festival
Cork Jazz Festival
The Cork Jazz Festival is an annual music festival held in Cork City, Ireland in late October every year since 1978.The festival is Ireland's biggest jazz event and attracts hundreds of musicians and thousands of music fans to the city each year....
in October (for which the theatre is a primary venue), and the Christmas pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
. A unique feature of the Everyman Palace is that its front of house
Front of House
Front of house is primarily a theatrical term, referring to the portion of the building that is open to the public. In theatre and live music venues, it typically refers to the auditorium and foyer, as opposed to the stage and backstage areas...
ushering staff is composed entirely of volunteers.
Up until 2007, The Everyman hosted the Irish regional festival of the National Theatre's New Connections program every May. It gained a reputation for supporting and enabling providing a platform for youth theatres such as Activate, Kildare Youth Theatre and Independent Youth Theatre
Independent Youth Theatre
Independent Youth Theatre is a platform for youth performance in Ireland.Based in Dublin and established in 2003, the Independent Youth Theatre produces new Irish works - both directed and written by young people. It accepts members between the ages of 14 to 24 and is the only youth theatre in...
.