Theatre Royal
Encyclopedia
Theatre Royal is the name of many theatre
s, especially in the United Kingdom
. The name was once an indication that the theatre was a patent theatre
, with a Royal Patent
without which performances of serious drama would be illegal.
United Kingdom:
Republic of Ireland:
Australia:
Canada:
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
s, especially in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The name was once an indication that the theatre was a patent theatre
Patent theatre
The patent theatres were the theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken drama" after the English Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Other theatres were prohibited from performing such "serious" drama, but were permitted to show comedy, pantomime or melodrama...
, with a Royal Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
without which performances of serious drama would be illegal.
United Kingdom:
- Theatre Royal, AstonAlpha TelevisionAlpha Television was a British limited company which operated television studios in Aston, Birmingham.- History :The company was formed in 1956 as a co-venture between two newly-created Independent Television companies, ATV and ABC Television...
(1895, cinema 1927, TV studios 1956, 1968 demolished), one of two in Birmingham - Theatre Royal, BathTheatre Royal, BathThe Theatre Royal in Bath, England, is over 200 years old. It is one of the more important theatres in the United Kingdom outside London, with capacity for an audience of around 900....
, Somerset - Theatre Royal, BirminghamTheatre Royal, BirminghamThe Theatre Royal, originally the New Theatre, was a theatre located on New Street in Birmingham, England between 1774 and 1956.-Bibliography and further reading:**...
(1774–1956), on New Street, one of two in Birmingham - Theatre Royal, BrightonTheatre Royal, BrightonThe Theatre Royal, Brighton is a theatre in Brighton, England, United Kingdom presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet and a Christmas pantomime.-History:...
- Theatre Royal, Bristol
- Theatre Royal, Bury St EdmundsTheatre Royal, Bury St EdmundsThe Theatre Royal is a restored Regency theatre in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. One of eight grade 1 listed theatres in the UK, it is the only working theatre on the National Trust's portfolio of properties....
- Theatre Royal, Covent GardenRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, London; the third Theatre Royal built on the site became the Royal Opera House Covent GardenRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in 1892. - Theatre Royal, Drury LaneTheatre Royal, Drury LaneThe Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, London - Theatre Royal, DumfriesTheatre Royal, DumfriesThe Theatre Royal in Dumfries, Scotland is a the oldest working theatre in Scotland. The Theatre is owned by the Guild of Players who bought it in 1959, thereby saving it from demolition. The Guild's aim is to promote the tradition of live theatre in Dumfries. It is the venue for the Guild of...
- Theatre Royal, EdinburghTheatre Royal, EdinburghFour theatre buildings in Edinburgh have borne the name Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, though the final three were all rebuildings of the second. The first was the Theatre Royal, Shakespeare Square, at the east end of Princes Street. This was opened 9 December 1769 by actor manager David Ross, and was...
- Theatre Royal, ExeterTheatre Royal, ExeterThe Theatre Royal, Exeter was the name of several theatres situated in the city centre of Exeter, Devon, England in the United Kingdom.-Early theatres and fires:...
- Theatre Royal, GlasgowTheatre Royal, GlasgowThe Theatre Royal is the oldest theatre in Glasgow, located at 282 Hope Street in Cowcaddens. The theatre originally opened in 1867, changing its name to the Theatre Royal in 1869, and is the longest running theatre in Scotland...
- Theatre Royal, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
- Theatre Royal, HaymarketHaymarket TheatreThe Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
, London - Theatre Royal, HydeTheatre Royal, HydeThe Theatre Royal is a Grade II listed Edwardian theatre situated on Corporation Street, Hyde, Greater Manchester.-History:Planning permission was granted by the local council to build a licensed theatre to replace the Theatre Royal of nearby Frank Street in 1901. The theatre was designed by...
, Hyde, Greater Manchester (opened 1902, closed 1992) - Theatre Royal, Ipswich, Suffolk
- Theatre Royal, Leeds, built 1876, demolished 1957
- Theatre Royal, LincolnTheatre Royal, LincolnThe Theatre Royal is a theatre in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.The present theatre, initially called the New Theatre Royal, was built in 1893 to the designs of Bertie Crewe and W.G.R. Sprague. An explosion and fire in 1892 had destroyed the previous theatre on the site, built in 1806...
, England - Theatre Royal, Margate, Kent
- Theatre Royal, Manchester, former theatre - now used as Royale nightclub
- Theatre Royal, NewcastleTheatre Royal, NewcastleThe Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger's grand design for the centre of Newcastle, and was opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant...
, Newcastle upon Tyne - Theatre Royal, NorwichTheatre Royal, NorwichThe Theatre Royal is the largest theatre in Norwich, Norfolk, England. It presents a large range of drama, dance, comedy, music and other entertainment...
, Norfolk - Theatre Royal, NottinghamTheatre Royal, NottinghamThe Theatre Royal, Nottingham in Nottingham, England, is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. The theatre is in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council...
- Theatre Royal, PlymouthTheatre Royal, PlymouthThe Theatre Royal in Plymouth, Devon, England is "the largest and best attended regional producing theatre in the UK and the leading promoter of theatre in the south west", according to Arts Council England...
, Devon - Theatre Royal, Portsmouth
- Theatre Royal, St Helens
- Theatre Royal Stratford EastTheatre Royal Stratford EastThe Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company.-History:...
, Stratford, London - Theatre Royal, WakefieldTheatre Royal, WakefieldThe Theatre Royal Wakefield is a theatre in Wakefield, England, which dates back to 1894. The theatre was originally known as the Theatre Royal and Opera House....
- Theatre Royal, WindsorTheatre Royal, WindsorThe Theatre Royal, Windsor is located in the town of Windsor, Berkshire, England, directly across the road from Windsor Castle.The present building was opened on 17 December 1910 after the previous theatre had burned down on 18 February 1908, under the ownership of Sir William Shipley.With the...
, Berkshire - Theatre Royal, YorkYork Theatre RoyalThe York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St. Leonard's Place, York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 847 people. This reduced capacity takes into account removal of the mixing position seats and the stage side boxes which are normally not sold...
Republic of Ireland:
- Theatre Royal, Cork
- Theatre Royal, DublinTheatre Royal, DublinAt one stage in the history of the theatre in Britain and Ireland, the designation Theatre Royal or Royal Theatre was an indication that the theatre was granted a Royal Patent without which theatrical performances were illegal...
- Theatre Royal, Waterford
- Theatre Royal, WexfordTheatre Royal, WexfordThe Theatre Royal, was an opera house and performance venue in Wexford Ireland which opened in 1832 and closed in 2005. It was the home of the annual Wexford Festival Opera, and has now been replaced by Wexford Opera House.-History:...
Australia:
- Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, Victoria
- Theatre Royal, HobartTheatre Royal, HobartThe Theatre Royal is situated in central Hobart, Tasmania. It stages many events including international ballet, opera, drama and musicals. It was constructed between 1834-1837 and is the oldest continually operating theatre in Australia....
, Tasmania - Theatre Royal, SydneyTheatre Royal, SydneyThe Theatre Royal in Sydney is Australia's oldest theatrical institution. Sydney's original Theatre Royal was built in 1827 behind the Royal Hotel, but burned to the ground in 1840. The name was dormant for 35 years until 1875 when a new Theatre Royal was built in the location where the current...
Canada:
- Theatre Royal, Barkerville, British Columbia