The theatre's logo which incorporates the city's coat of arms
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Address | Theatre Square City Centre, Nottingham England |
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Owner | Nottingham City Council |
Type | proscenium arch theatre |
Capacity | 1,186 (4 levels) |
Current use | Touring Venue |
Construction | |
Opened | 1865 |
Years active | 31 years (since refurbishment) |
Architect | Charles J. Phipps |
Website | |
http://www.trch.co.uk/ |
The Theatre Royal in Nottingham, England, is a venue in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council as part of a complex that also includes the city's Royal Concert Hall. The Theatre Royal attracts major touring dramas, opera, ballet, West End musicals and an annual pantomime.
The Theatre Royal was completed in 1865, after six months of work and costing the clients, lace manufacturers John and William Lambert £15,000. The Classic façade and Corinthian columns designed by Charles J. Phipps are still a major Nottingham landmark.
The Theatre Royal opened on Monday, 25 September 1865 with Sheridan's The School for Scandal.
Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel (1903) was first produced at the Theatre Royal by Fred Terry and Julia Neilson before being published as a novel. Although initially the play was met with little success, the novel is credited with influencing the mystery genre and arguably creating the "masked hero" genre.
On October 6, 1952, the theatre made history with the world premiere of The Mousetrap (as part of a pre-West End tour). The play has gone on to be the longest-running theatrical production in the world.
In 1969 the city council bought the theatre and began restoring it at a cost of £4 million in the day, re-opening it in 1978. It was in need of restoration and had earned a reputation as one of the worst theatres for backstage conditions in the country.